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Hints  on  Elocution. 


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HINTS  ON  ELOCUTION 


-W>  AND  -w — 


How  to  Become  an  Actor, 


ORIGINAL  AND  COMPILED 


-;{Y- 


CHAS.    W.  SMITH, 


WITH   MANY   ADDITIONS 


-BY- 


-i  f>,  AKi:s. 


SXW  AND  IMPROVED  EDITION, 


CT.YnE    OHIO. 

A.    D.    AMES,    PUBLISHER. 


Mntered   acrorJing  to  Act  of  Cottpre^*,  »««  (he  year  .s   .,  Ay 

A  MES  d:  HOL  OA  TE, 
v%  the  OJiict  of  the  J^ibru/ian  «/  L'ongreas  ai  W<uhingi%H, 


Uh 


HINTS  ON  ELOCUTION. 

Much  declamation  has  been  employed,  to  convince  the  world  of  a 
very  pl.iin  trutti,  that  to  be  aT)le  to  speak  well  is  an  ornamental  and 
useful  accomplisluuent.  Without  the  labored  panegyrics  of  ancient 
t)r  modern  orators,  the  importance  of  good  elocution  is  sufficient  to 
all.  Every  one  will  aolcnowleilge  it  to  be  of  some  consequence,  that 
what  a  man  has  hourly  occasion  to  do,  sliould  be  done  well.  Every 
private  company,  and  almost  every  public  assembly,  afford  opportu- 
nities for  remarking  the  difference  between  a  correct  and  expressive, 
and  a  faulty  and  unnatural  elocution,  and  there  are  few  persons, 
who  do  not  daily  experience  the  advantages  of  the  former,  and  the 
inconveniences  of  the  latter.  The  great  difficulty  is,  not  to  prove 
that  it  is  a  desirable  thing  to  be  able  to  read  and  speak  well,  but  to 
point  out  a  practicable  and  easy  method,  by  which  this  accomplish- 
ment may  be  acquired. 

Walker's  System  of  Inflection  is  nothing  more  than  an  analysis,  as 
it  \vere,  of  the  manner  in  which  the  best  speakers  who  are  free  from 
provincial  accent,  modulate  their  voice.  In  their  speaking,  when  tiie 
voice  rises  or  takes  the  upward  turn,  it  is  said  to  have  the  rising  in- 
flection; and  when  it  falls,  or  takes  the  downward  turn,  it  is  said  to 
have  the  falling  inflection;  but  when  it  continues  in  the  same  tone, 
neither  rising,  nor  falling,  it  is  said  to  be  in  a  monotone.  In  some 
cases  there  is  a  union  of  the  rising  and  falling  inflections  on  the  same 
syllable,  which  is  called  the  circumflex  inflection,  and  it  is  distin- 
guishable into  the  rising  and  fa'ling  circumflex,  a(tcording  as  it  is 
commenced  with  the  rising  or  falling  inflection.  But  it  is  an  error 
to  say  that  the  inflections  are  essential  to  the  sense,  and  for  this  pal- 
pable reason— the  English,  Scotch,  and  Irish  use  them  differently, 
and  yet,  not  the  slightest  ambiguity  follows  with  regard  to  the  sense. 
The  sense  is  the  tru<i  guide  to  the  use  of  the  intlections.  Understand 
and  feel  what  you  speak  or  read,  and  yon  will  inflect  correctly. 
Wilker's  sysrem  has  been  an  incubus  on  elocution,  preventinir  thou- 

1127914 


4  niXTS  ox  ELOCUlloX. 

ands  trom  tliinliin^  rationally,  or  tliinkiii<^  at  all  on  tlu^  subject.  Tt 
iievor  could  make  a  nootl  loador,  reriter,  or  speaker.  On  the  contra- 
ry the  study  of  it,  has  rendered  the  delivery  ot  "many,  unnatural  and 
ridieulou.*,  who  otherwise,  mi<;ht  have  been  good  speakers.  His  in- 
terminable rules  may  serve  as  a  proof  of  the  soundness  of  the  ol)>er- 
vation  of  Condiallac,  "that  we  have  never  so  much  to  say,  as  when  we 
.-et  out  from  false  principles." 

The  first  attention  of  every  person  who  reads  to  others,  doubtless, 
must  be  to  make  himself  heard  by  all  those  to  whom  he  reads,  or, 
speaks.  He  nuist  endeavor  to  fill  with  his  voice  tlie  space  occupied, 
by  the  company,  'i'his  power  of  voice,  it  may  be  thought,  is  whol- 
ly a  natural  talent.  It  is  in  a  good  measure  the  gift  of  nature;  but  it 
may  receive  considerable  ass'.staiice  from  art. 

In   order  to   produce  a  good  voice,  and  to  speak  with  ease,    keep 
erect,  but  not  perpendicular,  whether  you  stand  or    sit.     The   che.^t 
must  be  expanded  and  projected,  but  not  in  a  constrained  manner; 
the  shoulders  de]>rcssed  and  thrown  back;  the  mouth  must  be  well 
opened  by  lo\\ering  the  under  jaw,  but  without  distorting  the  fea- 
tures.    If  the  mouth  be  not  BulKciently   opened,  the   voice    will   not 
have  full  power;  if  too  mu<-h,  the  features  will  be  distorted;  and  in 
either  case,  the  articulation  and  quality  of  the  voice  will  be   injured. 
In  P{teakiiig,  as  much  depends  on  voice  and  manner  as  on  the  lan- 
guage and   sense   therein   conveyed.     A   common-place    sentiment 
well  delivered,  is  more  elfectlve  than  choice  ideas  (;ulled  from   pro- 
found thought  and  research  expressed  in  a  shambling  or  otherwise, 
fritfering  manner.     Consequently,  too  little  importance  is  given  to 
the  study  of  Elocution.     Few  pcope  speak  correctly.     Without   ref- 
erence to  granmiatical  errors  or  i)recision,  not  one  person  among  ten 
thousand  uses  his  or  her  voice  i)roperly  and  in  harmony  with  the  re- 
quirements of  good  taste  and  expression.     There   are  absolute   laws 
governing  the  whole  ground  which    nmst  be  understood  before  a  per- 
son is  certain  of  giving  force  or  a  sensible  meaning  to  words.     Ideas 
are  not  necessarily  only  conveyed  in  words.     Facial  expression,    ac- 
tion and    pause   are   eloquent,   and    intermingled    with   words   aug- 
mented by  the  culture  of  a  finely  modidated  voice,  give  point,    pow- 
t-r  and  ellVct  to  the  most  t-nnunon  arirunient  as  to  ai^ricoless  thought. 
Elocution  means    something  more  tlien    learning  to   sj)out  "1    come 
not  liere  to  tjilk"  in  Rien/.i's  address  to  the  Romans,   which   scliool- 
)>oy8  harped  thread-bare;  or  cultivating  a  graceful  i)rattle   on    Poe's 
Kaven;  or  losing  yourself  in  oral    me<litation  in   Hamlet's   soliloquy 
"To  be,  or  not  to  be !"     It  is  to  use  voice  and  all  functions  which  as- 
sist it  properly. 

Speak  in  your  own  natural  voice.     Do  not  assume  an  artificial  one 
)iur  imitate  another  per-on's  voice.     That  which  sits  well    upon  b  ni, 


BIXTS  ON  ELOCUTION.  6 

and  In  fact,  forms  a  part  of  his  idiosyncrasy,  will  be  unn:itiir;il  if  as- 
sumed by  you.  Seelv  to  improve  the  good  qualities  of  your  own 
voice,  and  to  correct  it's  faults  but  still  let  it  be  your  voice.  Ob- 
serve how  you  form  those  tones,  which  your  judgement,  after  some 
practice,  will  tell  you  are  natural. 

Let  your  lips  perform  their  proper  part  in  articulating.  Many 
persons  open  their  mouths  well,  but  scarcely  move  their  lips,  and 
consequently,  althou;^h  the  voice  i)roduced  may  be  good,  tiie  words 
are  not  distinct.  Speak  as  it  vvere,  further  back,  but  with  the  throat 
expanded,  not  contracted.  You  will  thus  produce  a  more  sonorous 
voice,  which  will  fill  a  large  building,  with  less  fatigue  to  you,  than 
by  fepeaking  in  the  liglit,  lip  voice  of  ordinary  conversation. 

Take  breath  quietly.  You  can  not  speak  well  if  you  do  not 
breathe  correctly.  The  woman  style  of  breathing  only  down  to  the 
second  clasp  on  a  corset  bone  will  not  answer  the  purpose.  Respira- 
tion must  be  deep,  strong  and  regular.  The  man  breath  in  point  of 
fact  is  the  kind  required.  It  is  not  out  of  place  to  state  in  this  con- 
nection that  while  women  continue  to  lace  their  waists  there  will  be 
two  classifications  of  breathing,  the  man  breath  and  the  woman 
breath.  A  man  breathes  down  in  the  abdomen,  which  women  are 
either  too  modest  or  too  foolish  to  do.  In  this  case  the  exception 
proves  the  rule.  Women  who  toil  at  hard  labor  can  not  afford  cor. 
sets,  or  short  breatlis.  They  respire  like  men,  and  how  they  can  use 
their  voices — when  they  scold?  Some  of  them  would  embalm  their 
names  in  glory  if  they  could  buy  a  stock  of  good  ideas,  if  they  have 
iiotm  on  hand,  and  take  the  rostrum. 

Society  is  made  nervous  with  a  collection  of  squeaky  soprano  voi- 
ces which  cultivation  would  reduce  to  the  simple  principles  of  chest 
tones,  thereby  giving  a  richness  and  meaning  to  common  conversa- 
tion that  is  now  nnknown. 

Few  people  think  of  studying  elocution  unless  they  are  stage  or 
poetry  struck.  Steady  going  people  do  not  imagine  there  is  any  use 
for  them  to  speak  properly,  so  long  as  they  know  how  to  dispose  of 
the  modes,  tcnsi's,  numbers  and  cases  of  sentences.  The  real  work 
is  just  begun  upon  the  acquirement  of  that  knowledge.  Xot  for  a 
moment  is  it  a  Ivauced  that  every  remark  should  be  studied  and  pre- 
cise. 

The  principles  of  elocution  though  well  defined  are  so  simple  that 
they  may  become  a  second  nature  to  thosf  who  will  learn  them,  and 
then  without  thinlving,  conversaliou  becomes  concise,  correct,  to  the 
point,  graceful  and  artistic. 

Avoid  all  gasping  or  drav.ing  in  of  the  bi-eath  with  perceptible 
effort.     Generally,  the  lungs  will  supply  themselves  with    broarh,    if 


6  njNTS  ox  ELOCUTION. 

you  only  give  them  time  to  do  so,  by  pan*ins:  in  the  proper  places. 
To  hurry  on,  phrase  after  phrase,  wlihoiit  allowing  yourself  time  to 
breathe,  is  not  only  very  disagreeable  to  your  hearers,  but  highly  in_ 
jtuions  to  your  lungs.  If  you  distress  yourself,  your  hearers  will 
feel  your  uneasiness.  For  so  strong  is  the  sympathy  between  the 
organs  of  speech  and  those  of  hearing,  that  the  least  uneasiness  in 
one  is  immediately  perceived  by  the  other.  Reading  aloud,  long 
continued,  with  the  lungs  but  partially  distended,  is  very  injurious 
to  these  organs;  it  is  apt  to  occasion  a  spitting  of  blood,  which  is  of- 
ten a  precursor  of  pulmonary  consumption.  But  reading  aloud, 
with  proper  management  of  the  breath,  is  a  healthful  exercise.  Be- 
sides strengthening  the  muscles  which  it  calls  into  action,  it  pro- 
motes the  decarbonization  of  the  blood,  and  consequently  exerts  a 
6  ihuatory  inlluence  on  the  system. 

Distinctness  of  articulation  contributes  more  than  mere  loudness 
of  sound.  The  quantity  of  sound  necessary  to  fill  even  a  large  space, 
is  smaller  than  is  commo.dy  imagine  I ;  and,  with  distinct  articula- 
tion, a  person  with  a  weak  voice  will  make  it  reach  further  than  the 
strongest  voice  can  reach  w  ithout  it.  To  this,  therefore,  every  read- 
er ought  to  pay  great  attention.  He  must  give  every  sound  which 
he  utters,  its  due  proportion;  and  make  every  syllable,  and  even  ev- 
ery letter  in  the  word  which  he  pronounces,  be  heard  distinctly; 
without  slurring,  whispering,  or  suppressing,  any  of  the  proper 
sounds. 

An  accurate  knowledge  of  the  simple  elementary  sounds  of  the 
language,  and  a  facility  in  expressing  them,  are  so  necessary  to  dis- 
tinctness of  expression,  that  if  the  learner's  attainments  are,  in  this 
respect,  imperfect,  (and  many  there  are  in  this  situation,)  it  will  be 
incumbent  to  carry  him  back  to  these  primary  articulations;  and  to 
suspend  his  progress,  till  he  becomes  perfectly  master  of  them.  It 
will  be  in  vain  to  press  him  forward,  with  the  hope  of  forming  a 
good  reader,  if  he  cannot  completely  articulate  every  elementary 
sound  of  the  language. 

In  order  to  express  ourselves  distinctly,  moderation  is  requisite 
with  regard  to  the  speed  of  pronouncing,  Precipitancj'  of  speech 
confoimds  all  articulation,  and  all  meaning.  It  is  scarcely  necessary 
to  observe,  that  there  may  be  also  an  extreme  on  the  opposite  side. 
It  is  obvious  that  a  lifeless,  drawling  manner  of  reading,  which  al- 
lows the  minds  of  the  hearers  to  be  always  ontnnining  the  speaker, 
must  render  every  such  perlormaiice  inhipid  and  fatiguing.  But  the 
extreme  of  reading  too  fast  is  much  more  common ;  and  requires  the 
more  to  be  guarded  against,  because,  when  it  has  grown  into  a  habit. 
I     •    fT'ir?  ;ire  mrirrr  diffionlt  to  bf  correet"fl.     To  i)i'OTinii>M«^'  \' ■•' 


HIXTS  ON  ELOCUTION.  7 

proper  decree  of  slowness,  and  witli  full  and  clear  ailiciil.itioii,  is 
necessary  to  be  studied  by  all  who  wish  to  become  good  readers:  and 
it  cannot  be  too  much  recommended  to  them.  Sucii  a  pronunciation 
gives  weight  and  dignity  to  the  snl)ject.  It  is  a  great  assistance  to 
the  voice,  by  the  pauses  and  rests  which  it  allows  the  reader  more 
easily  to  make;  and  it  enables  the  reader  to  swell  all  his  tones,  botli 
with  more  force  and  more  harmony. 

Read  conversational  dialogues  and  dramatic  scenes,  which  are  ef- 
fective means  of  breaking  up  monotonous  and  mechanical  tone*. 
Learn  to  read  one  character  well,  then  another,  then  all;  modulat- 
ing the  voice  for  the  difterent  characters. 

Avoid  all  nostrums  for  "improving  the  voice."  Many  are  highly 
injurious,  containing  opium  or  other  deleterious  drugs;  and  altliougii 
they  may  at  first  to  improve  the  voice,  they  will  ultimately  and  per- 
manently injure  it.  Exercise  and  temperance  are  the  only  sure 
strengtheners.  Whatever  improves  the  general  state  of  the  health 
will  equally  improve  the  vocal  organs.  Practice  with  moderation, 
and  rest  before  the  voice  becomes  fatigued.  Do  not  load  the  stoin- 
ache  before  speaking.  Cravats  should  not  be  thick,  as  such  weaken 
the  vocal  organs,  nor  worn  lo  tight  as  to  impede  their  action.  But 
avoid  a  slovenly  looseness,     Snufif  is  very  injurious  to  the  voice. 

Most  vocal  complaints  arise  from  over  exertion,  or  from  too  littl'i 
practice.  In  the  first  case,  rest — in  the  latter,  dally  practice  will 
effect  a  cure. 

True  impressiveness  is  only  to  be  given  to  words  by  uttering  them 
expressively,  that  is,  in  tones  expressing  the  feeling  of  the  passage; 
in  the  pitch  of  the  voice  natural  to  the  feeling  or  sentiment  to  be  ex- 
pressed; in  the  movement  or  degree  of  slowness  or  fastness  appro- 
j)riate  to  the  words;  and  with  that  degree  of  force  which  is  equal  to 
the  energy  of  the  language. 

These  terms  are  Ireijueutly  misapplied.  It  is  a  common  blunder  to 
confound  pitcli  with  power.  A  speaker  is  often  said  to  have  spoken 
in  too  low  a  tone  to  be  heard,  which  is  incorrect.  High  and  low,  re- 
fer to  the  degrees  of  pitch  or  acuteness  and  gravity  of  sounds,  and 
loud  and  soft  to  the  degrees  of  power.  You  may  speak  in  a  large 
room  upon  the  lowest  pitch  of  your  voice,  and  be  heard  if  you  use 
f^ufficient  power,  and  upon  your  highest  pitch  in  a  smrill  room  with- 
out annoying  your  auditors,  if  you  use  power  only  siiHicieut  to  fill  the 
j)lace. 

By  tone  I  mean  that  peculiar  expression  of  voice  which  correctly* 
indicates  the  feeling  of  the  speaker,  as  a  tone  of  giief,  rage,  despair 
melancholy,  confidence,  arrogance,  &c.  Follow  nature;  consider 
how  she  teaches  you   to   utier   any  sentiment    or  feeling   of  your 


a  siyrs  ox  elocution. 

lieart.  Whether  you  speak  in  a  private  room,  or  in  a  great  ast?em- 
bly.  renu'iiiber  tliat  yoii  still  speak,  and  speak  naturally.  As  in 
patliolo>ry,  -'^o  it  is  in  oratory,  what  comes  from  the  heart  (toes  to  the, 
heart,  ('onventional  tones  and  action  have  been  the  ruin  of  delivery 
in  the  pulpit,  the  senate,  the  bar,  and  on  the  staj^e.  Tone  is  distinct 
from  quality  of  the  voice,  or  that  peculiarity  which  distinguislies  the 
speaker's  idiosyncrasy.  This  quality  should  not  be  imitated  liy  any 
one,  for  ili.it  which  sits  well  upon  one  person  will  be  uniiatuml  in 
another  of  different  characteristics. 

Tone  is  of  the  highest  importance;  it  is  the  great  secret  of  powerful 
delivery,  'i'hcre  is  as  groat  a  ditl'eronce  between  a  fine  passaireread  in 
expressive  tones  ami  in  the  usual  conventional  tones  adoi^ted  by  most 
readers,  as  there  is  between  an  air  of  Handel  sung  by  Jenny  Lind 
and  the  most  common-place  vocalist. 

Pitch,  movement  and  force,  are  also  of  great  importance.  The  four 
form  infinite  variety  for  the  expression  of  feeling  and  sentiment,  and 
are  to  be  acquired  to  a  great  degree  by  study  and  practice.  The 
highest  degree  of  expression  in  tone  and  force  are  the  prerogatives  of 
genius:  but  even  then,  polish  is  required  to  ajiproacl)  jjofection. 

We  can  raise  our  voice  at  pleasure  to  jiny  pitch  it  is  capable  of; 
but  it  requires  great  art  and  practice  to  bring  the  voice  lower  when 
it  is  once  raised  too  high.  It  ought,  therefore,  to  be  a  first  principle 
rather  to  begin  under  the  common  level  of  the  voice,  than  above  it. 

If  yon  are  naturally  weak  in  voice,  or  through  habit  have  fallen 
into  a  weak  utterance ;  read  or  speak  daily,  and  if  possible,  in  a  large 
room,  gradually  increasing  the  power ;  for  the  metliod  of  increasing 
by  degrees  is  easy  in  this  as  in  everything  else,  when  sudden  transi- 
ions  are  impracticable;  and  every  new  acquisition  of  power  will 
enable  you  the  better  to  go  on  to  the  next  degree.  When  you  have 
attained  that  loudness  beyond  which  yon  cannot  go  without  forcing 
your  voice,  there  stop,  and  in  tliat,  or  a  little  under  that  degree, 
practice  for  some  time,  but  not  until  fatigued. 

Every  person  has  three  pitches  in  his  voice,  the  high,  the  middle, 
and  the  low  one.  The  high,  is  that  which  he  uses  in  callin;;  aloud  to 
Bome  ]»orson  at  a  distance.  'J'lie  low,  is  when  he  approaches  to  a 
■whisper.  The  middle,  is  that  which  he  emjjloys  in  common  conver- 
sation, and  which  he  should  generally  use  in  reading  to  others.  For 
it  i«  a  great  mistake  to  suppose  that  one  must  take  the  highest  pitch 
of  voice,  in  order  to  be  well  heard  in  a  large  company. 

A  speaker  may  render  his  voico  louder,  without  altering  the  key: 
and  we  shall  always  be  able  to  give  mo«t  body,  most  persevering 
force  of  sound,  to  that  pitch  of  voice  to  which  in  conversation  we 
are  accustomed.  Whereas  by  setting  out  on  our  highest  pitch  or 
key,  we  certainly  allow  ourselves  less  compass,  and  are  likely  to 
Strain  our  voice  before  we  have  done. 


niXTS  ox  ELOCUTION.  9 

The  middle  pitch  of  tlic  voice  slioiild  first  bcstrenji^tliened,  them  the 
lower  and  hl^^her  pitches.  Tai<e  pailiciilar  care  not  to  raise  llie 
pitcl)  of  voice,  but  only  to  add  i)o\vcr.  If  you  have  the  opportunity, 
practice  in  the  opsn  air,  or  on  th3  sea-shore,  and  with  the  face  to 
the  wind.  When  the  voice  has  actpiirod  consideraljle  power,  occas- 
ionally speak  aloud  while  walking  up  an  ascent. 

Great  attention  should  be  given  to  the  cultivation  of  the  lowest 
notes  of  the  voice.  Few  can  use  them  with  distinctness.  The 
whisper  of  Mrs.  Siddons  was  distinctly  heard  in  the  remotest  part  of 
huge  theatres,  and  produced  a  greater  eflect  than  the  loudest  bawl  of 
those  who  tore  passion  to  tatters,  to  the  rags,  to  split  the  ears  of  tlie 
groundlings.  Althougii  the  higher  notes  are  not  so  often  required 
as  the  middle  or  lower,  they  must  be  perfectly  under  command. 
I^othing  can  be  worse  in  a  public  speaker  than  the  breaking  or  chang- 
ing of  his  "big  manly  voice,"  to  a  "childish  treble,"  when  it  should 
rouse  like  a  trumpet. 

Proportion  the  loudness  of  your  voice  to  the  size  and  peculiarities 
of  the  place,  so  that  3-ou  neither  fatigue  yourself  and  annoy  your 
audience  by  unnecessary  loudness,  nor  remain  unheard  by  many,  by 
using  too  Hltle  power.  In  echoing  buildings,  be  very  distinct  and 
slow:  make  frequent  and  long  pauses;  be  as  smooth  as  possible:  use 
little  power  and  attend  to  the  returning  sound.  Study  the  peculi- 
arities of  the  place  in  which  you  have  to  speak  either  by  iiracticing 
there  or  observing  another  speaker,  and  from  ditterent  parts  of  the 
building. 

Faults  in  articulation  often  ascribed  to  some  defect  in  the  organs 
of  speech,  are  generally  the  consequence  of  carelessness  or  bad  ex- 
ample. Not  one  in  a  thousand  cases  of  defective  articulation,  pro- 
ceeds from  any  natural  delect  or  impellment.  When  Demosthenes 
first  spoke  in  public,  he  could  not  even  pronounce  the  first  letter  of 
his  art.  Rhetoric;  and,  to  this  day,  people  are  told  that  this  was  a 
natural  defect  in  his  organs;  but  had  that  been  the  case,  it  would 
have  been  Impossible  that  he  ever  should  have  corrected  it,  which  he 
did  by  indefatigable  pains.  In  several  countries  and  counties  the 
natives  cannot  pronounce  certain  letters. 

It  would  be  strange  to  suppose  that  all  those  people  were  born  with 
a  peculiar  defect  in  their  organs,  when  the  matter  is  so  plainly  to  be 
accounted  for,  upon  the  principle  of  imitation  and  habit. 

Parents  should  assist  their  children  in  their  first  attempts  to  artic- 
ulate words ;  and  make  them  proceed  regularly,  in  the  formation  of 
such  sounds  only  as  are  most  easy,  and  require  least  exertion  of  the 
organs.  By  suffering  them  to  try  to  pronounce  any  words  whatever, 
or  even  often  urging  them  to  speak  such  as  are  too  difficult,  they 
cause  false  articulation. 


10  MISTS  OX  ELOCUTION. 

Writers  on  elocution  have  frequently  attempted  to  rtescribe  the 
formation  of  various  artit-ulate  sounds,  for  tlie  benefit  of  tiiose  wliose 
articulation  is  imperfect*,  but  it  is  alnio>t  inipo-«il)le  to  clearly  de- 
scribe the  formation  by  words,  and  engravings  show  but  part  of  the 
process.  The  best  method  of  correcting  defective  speech,  when  not 
aiising  from  organic  defect,  is  to  imitate  the  pupil's  mode  of  pro- 
nouncing to  show  him  what  is  wrong,  and  then  to  pronounce  the 
word  correctly,  to  show  him  by  the  movement  of  your  own  moutht 
how  he  should  speak.  Defective  articulation  frequently  arises  from 
endeavoring  to  speak  too  fast.  Time  is  not  given  for  the  organs  to 
form  the  correct  sounds,  and  habit  coiilirnis  the  fault.  Cliildren 
ought  not  to  be  allowed  to  repeat  their  lessons  in  a  hurried  manner, 
either  while  committing  them  to  memory,  or  repeating  them  to  the 
teacher.  Mrs.  Siddon's  first  direction  to  her  pupils  was,  "Take 
time."  >Vhere  there  is  a  uniformly  rapid  utterance,  it  is  absolutely 
impossible  that  there  should  be  strong  emphasis,  natural  tones,  or 
good  elocution.  Aim  at  nothing  hight^r,  till  you  can  read  distinctly 
and  deliberately. 

"Learn  to  speak  slow,  all  other  graces 
Will  follow  in  their  proper  places." 

The  best  method  of  correcting  or  preventing  careless  articulation, 
is  to  repeat  a  few  words  daily,  louilly  and  distinctly,  taking  them 
prcniiscuonsly  from  your  reading  lesson,  and  attending  wholly  to 
pronouncing  then  well,  without  any  regard  to  the  context.  If  you 
pronounce  any  particular  sound  amiss,  let  wordB  containing  it  pre- 
dominate, but  do  not  utter  too  many  of  these  successively.  Speak 
the  words  in  various  pitches,  tones,  rates  of  utterance,  and  degrees 
of  force.  Write  down  all  the  words  yon  are  in  the  habit  of  mispro- 
nouncing, and  read  tliem  over  two  or  three  times  daily  until  correct- 
ed. After  u  time  read  over  the  list  again,  to  ascertain  whether  the 
correct  pntnunclation  has  been  acquired. 

Stammerers  instead  of  sp-aKing  immediately  after  inspiration,  as 
they  should  do,  often  attempt  to  speak  iuunediately  after  iexpimt/c>«, 
when  of  course  they  have  no  power  to  speak.  This  is  as  absurd  as 
trying  to  blow  a  tire  witii  an  empty  liellows.  In  singing,  the  lungs 
are  kept  well  iiitlated,  and  tliere  is  no  stuttering.  The  method  of 
cure  is — to  keep  the  lungs  well  filled,  to  draw  frequent  long  breaths, 
to  .speak  loud,  and  to  j)aust;  on  tin;  instant  of  linding  embarassment 
in  the  speech,  taking  a  long  inspiration  before  you  go  on  again. 

It  is  not  eaf«y  to  fix  upon  any  standard,  by  which  the  propriety  of 
pronunciation  may  be  determined.  A  rigorous  adherence  to  etymol- 
ogy, or  to  analogy,  woidd  often  produce  a  pedantic  pronunciation  of 
wordu,     'J'he  fa.shionable  ^voiM   lias  rno  inmli  c  i)(ricc  ;iii(i   ■'"■■  ■••♦!•. n 


HIiVTS  OX  KLOCUTIOX.  11 

to  I)e  linpHc'itly  followed.  If  tliere  h\i  •,\nv  true  sUiiidurd  of  in-omiii- 
ciatiini,  it  must  he  sought  for  amongst  those,  who  unite  the  accur.-ui- 
cy  of  learniii;^  with  the  elcg.iuct.!  of  [)olitj  conviTiatioii. 

The  instance  of  bad  pronunciation  which  is  most  common,  and 
therefore  requires  particular  notice,  is  the  mis-application  of  the 
aspirate  h.  This  defect  sonetlmes  occasions  ludicrous,  and  even 
serious  mistakes.  It  is  an  omission  wliicli  mnterially  oflects  the  en- 
ergy of  the  speaker;  the  expression  of  emotions  and  passions,  often 
depending  upon  the  veliemence  witli  which  the  aspirate  is  tittered. 

In  the  majority  of  words  containing  the  letter  h,  either  at  the  he- 
ginning,  middle,  (fee,  the  h  should  be  aspirated. 

In  the  following  words,  h  is  silent ; — heir,  heirloom  ;  lierb,  herbage ; 
honest,  honestly ;  honor,  honorable,  honorably;  hospital;  hostler; 
hour,  hourly,  humorist,  humorously;  and  their  other  derivatives.  The 
A  in  humble  was  formerly  silent,  but  it  is  now  aspirated.  Humble 
pie  is  an  incorrect  spelling  of  umblepie,  a  pie  made  of  umbles,  a 
plural  noun,  meaning  a  deer's  entrails;  the  /tis  a  wrong  spelling,  and 
bliould  be  omitted. 

The  h  in  the  following  words,  is  silent,  though  not  initials— asthma 
dishabille,  isthmus,  rhapsody,  rhetoric,  rheumatism,  Rhine,  rhinoc- 
eros, rhomb,  rhubarb,  rhyme,  rhythm,  Thames,  Thomas.  Also  in 
Buch  words  as — ah,  catarrh,  Micah,  Sarah,  &c. 

Many  omit  the  aspirate,  not  only  at  the  beginning  of  words,  but 
after  the  w,  as  in  w/tere,  &c. ;  and  in  the  middle  of  words,  as  in  fore- 
Aead,  which  they  mispronounce  fored,  instead  of  foreAead;  in  ab- 
Aor,  beA  )ld,  ex/iaust,  ln/^abit,  unhorse,  &c.  Others  not  only  omit 
the  aspirate  where  it  should  be  sounded,  but  aspirate  where  there  is 
no  h,  or  where  it  should  be  silent,  as  Aend  for  end,  &c.  This  is  the 
grossest  fault. 

Be  careful  not  to  mistake  loudness  for  aspiration.  Hold  up  the 
finger  a  few  inches  from  the  mouth,  and  pronouncj  any  word  con- 
taining the  h.  If  you  aspirate,  you  will  feel  the  breath  against  your 
linger,  but  not  if  you  merely  speak  louder. 

Many  often  substitute  the  sound  of  ?o  for  v,  and  o  for  lo.  To  cure 
this,  often  repeat  a  few  words  beginning  with  or  contaiuing  the  y, 
and  bite  the  under  lip  while  sounding  the  v,  until  the  letter  be  well 
pronounced;  then  repeat  words  beginning  with  or  containing  the  w, 
which  must  be  pronounced  by  a  pouting  out  of  the  lips,  without  suf- 
fering them  to  touch  the  teeth.  F'is  formed  by  pressing  the  lower 
part  of  the  upper  teeth  against  the  inside  of  the  lower  lip. 

B  has  two  sounds — the  strong  vibratory  i\  heard  at  the  beginning 
of  words  and  of  syllables,  as  in  ra/e,  error;  and  ilie  smooth  r,  which 
is  heard  at  the  termination  of  words,  or  when  it  is  succeeded  by  aeon- 
sonant.     The  first  is  formed  by  jarring  the  tongue  against  the  roof  of 


12  HI  MS  OX  ELOCUTION. 

mouth,  near  the  fore  teeth;  and  the  second  hy  a  vibration  of  the 
tonorue  near  the  root  against  the  inward  region  of  the  palate.  In 
porae  parts  of  Irehind,  the  r  before  the  titiil  consonant,  as  in  card,  is 
pronounced  with  the  force  of  the  conniiencinjj  r,  accompanied  by  a 
strong  aspiration  at  the  beginning  of  the  letter;  whereas  in  I^ngland, 
and  particularly  in  London,  it  is  entirely  sunk,  and  the  word  sounds 
:is  if  written  ranil.  The  Scotch  freipieiitly  give  it  witli  mure  rough- 
ness at  the  termination  tiian  at  tlie  beginning.  Hut  the  sound  they 
give  at  the  commencement  is  not  the  English  tenninational  sound; 
it  is  a  negligent  and  imperfect  quivering  of  tlie  tirst  English  r.  In 
such  words  as  thorn,  worm,  many  of  the  Scotch  as  well  as  the  Irish 
^ound  thf  rn,  as  if  they  formed  a  separate  syllable.  Many  persons, 
from  indolence  or  inattention,  instead  ()f  quivering  the  tip  of  the 
tongue  in  this  letter,  give  it  a  burring  sound  by  (luivering  the  epi- 
;;lottis.  In  looking  into  tlie  mouth  of  these  persons,  on  desiring  them 
to  sound  ;•,  the  tongue  is  seen  tlirust  behind  the  lower  teeth;  by 
causing  them  to  lift  up  the  tongue,  balance  it  in  the  mouth, 'and 
then  breathe  strongly,  they  will  frequently  at  once  give  the  true 
>ound  of  the  letter.  The  dithcidty  ;>fterwards  lies  in  teaching  the 
terminational  r,  which  they  will  for  a  time  give  with  the  old  sound; 
in  such  cases  they  should  use  the  first  v,  though  it  is  harsh,  and  soft- 
en it  gradnally. 

Give  full  expression  to  the  words  by  pronouncing  tliem  slow  or 
fast,  as  may  be  proper,  and  giving  each  letter  which  is  not  silent,  it's 
due  sound.  'J'he  English  language  is  most  expressive  if  properly 
spoken.  It  abounds  ni  words  wbicii  seem  to  pnint  things  for  which 
they  stand.  We  are  apt  to  slur  the  vowels  in  lo;ig  words  where  they 
are  of  most  use.  The  consonants  may  be  styled  the  bones  of  the 
l.inguage,  and  the  vowels  it's  flesh.  As  for  perfect  beauty  of  form 
in  the  human  figure,  both  are  required,  so  are  they  to  beauty  of  sounil 
in  a  language.  Tiie  English  language  is  in  this  resijcct  nearer  to 
l>erfection  than  any  modern  tongue,  and  next  after  the  Greek.  I 
mean  in  sound,  for  our  language  is  not  the  same  in  sound,  when  well 
spoken,  as  it  looks  upon  paj»er. 

Consonants  should  not  be  preceded  or  terminated  by  any  confused 
sound  of  their  own.     Thus:  s — such,  this — s. 

Expression  does  not  reside  in  the  mere  letters  which  compose  the 
vord;  it  depends  on  the  due  force  given  to  them  in  utterance.  No 
letter  so  harsh,  whii'h  may  not  be  softened ;  so  strong,  which  may 
not  be  weakened  ;  and  vice  versa.  The  long  may  be  shortened,  and 
the  short  h^n^thfned.  Whenever  the  power  of  the  co?isonants  is 
particularly  suited  to  the  expression,  theii  sound  should  be  enforced; 
when  otherwise,  softened. 

As  Shakespeare  says,  "Speak  the  speech   I   pray   you,  as  I  pro- 


HIXTS  TO  AMATEURS.  IS 

nounced  it  to  you.  trippingly  on  the  tongue:  but  if  you  incut li  it,  as 
many  of  your  players  do,  I  had  as  lief  the  the  town  crier  had  spoken 
my  lines,"  By  'trippingly  on  the  tongue,'  he  means  tlie  bounding 
from  accent  to  accent;  tripping  from  syllable  to  8ylial)le,  witliout 
resting  on  them;  and  by  'mouthing'  is  meant,  dwelling  upon  sylla- 
bles tliat  have  no  accent,  and  ought  therefore,  to  be  uttered  as  quick- 
ly as  is  consistent  with  distinct  articulation  ;  or  prolonging  the  sounds 
of  tlie  accented  syllables  beyond  their  ihie  proportion  of  time. 

Do  not  depend  on  the  punctuation,  lor  the  pauses  in  speaking,  and 
the  points  in  writing,  are  distinct;  pauses  belonging  to  the  delivery 
of  a  sentence  anil  points  to  it's  grammatical  construction.  The 
punctuation  is  usually  made  by  tlie  printer,  according  to  rule,  few 
authors  paying  any  attention  to  it.  Divide  the  sentence  into  groups 
of  words,  and  pause  at  each  group  tlnis: — "To  be — or  not  to  be — 
that  is  the  question — whether — 'tis  nobler  in  the  mind — to  eufter  the 
slings  and  ai  rows— of  outrageous  fortune — or  to  take  arms — against 
a  sea  of  troubles — and  by  opposing — end  them."  The  Kemble 
School  pronounced  whole  sentences  without  a  pause,  frequently 
causing  the  words  to  be  weakened  for  want  of  breath.  This  style 
hag  a  monotonous  grandeur  annalogous  to  a  vast  building  without 
architectural  divisions,  as  a  large  pyramid.  The  Macready  School 
paused  at  almost  every  word,  giving  undue  force  to  many  words. 
This  style  had  a  monotonous  smalluess.  These  actors  were  great 
despite  their  artificial  styles.  Ea(!h  phrase  should,  by  having  it's 
pause,  be  simply  distinct,  and, form  a  part  of  one  grand  whole. 

The  following  passage  from  the  Tragedy|  of  '^ Isabella''' X  by  T. 
Southern,  is  one  of  great  beauty  : 

"Sooner  or  later,  all  things  pass  away. 

And  are  no  more.    The  beggar  and  the  king. 

With  equal  steps,  tread  forward  to  their  end: 

The  reconciling  grave 

Swallows  distinction  first,  that  made  us  foes  ; 

Then  all  alike  lie  down  in  peace  together. 

When  will  that  hour  of  peace  arrive  for  me  I 

In  heaven  I  shall  find  it ; — not  in  heaven 

If  my  old  tyrant  father  can  dispose 

Of  things  above.    But  there  his  interest 

May  be  as  poor  as  mine,  and  want  a  friend 

As  much  as  I  do  here  I" 

At  this  point  we  will  also  give  a  quotation  from  the  Tragedy  ^*The 
Serf,""*  by  Talbot.  It  has  the  merit  of  being  not  only  poetical,  but 
true. 

E'en  as  a  picture,  while  the  canvass  yet 
Is  unprepar'd,  lives  in  the  painter's  eye 
Distinct  in  it's  gradation  from  the  sharp  foreground, 

Each  distance  finely  stealing  from  the  next. 

Published  hy  A.  D.  Ames. 


14  HINTS  OX  ELOCUTION. 

"Till  all  are  melted  iu  tlie  dim  horizon,— 
So  is  the  life  of  man,  or  ere  his  birth 
Mysteriously  shndow'd  forth  \>y  fate. 
Through  i-very  stiigo  ;  aud  all  thst  iutervenei 
lietwi-eii  the  earliest  wuil  and  dyiuK  groau. 
Is  merely  coloring. 

Let  the  length  of  the  pause  be  proportionetl  to  the  connection  be- 
tween the  groups;  the  more  distant  the  groups,  tlie  longer  should  be. 
tlie  i)aus(',  and  vice  versa.  'I'lius  tlie  i>lirases  or  groups  of  word  be- 
come distinct  to  the  ear  as  tlie  groups  in  a  good  picture  to  the  eye. 

Pause  should  ever  be  i)orporiioned  to  ((uantity.  As  longer  quan- 
tity is  given,  the  pause  between  th»'  wonis,  ami  particularly  between 
the  h-yical  words,  or  ditVcrcnt  tlionglils,  s^iiould  be  iengtiieiied.  It  is 
a  common  fault,  in  the  endeavor  to  Ik;  more  deliberate  in  the  pronun- 
ciation, the  pauses  oidy,  or  the  quantity  only,  is  lengthened. 

The  correct  reading  of  a  passage  frequently  depends  on  a  pause  a^ 
n  the  following  speech  of  Sliylocli :  — 

"Bignor  Antonio,  many  a  time  and  oft 
In  tbs  Kialto  you  have  rated  me 
About  my  monies  aud  my  uaauceai" 

which  was  read  by  Henderson,  thus; — 

"Signor  Antonio,  many  a  time— and  oft 
In  the  Rialto,"  Sec. 

which  agrees  with  the  previous  passage : — 

"And  he  rails 
even  there  where  merchants  most  do  congregate. 
On  me,  my  bargains,  and  my  well-won  thrift. 
Which  he  calls  int>  rest!" 

A  pause  for  ettect  may  often  be  made  when  a  pause  Is  not  requir- 
ed. The  full  power  of  expression  of  the  voice  should  be  concentrat- 
ed upon  the  following  word,  thus — "yet  what  to  me,  is  the  quintes- 
6ence  of — c/^t'^^"     "It  is  a  tale,  told  by  an  idiot,  signifying — nothing.'" 

A  succession  of  pauses  and  concentrations  each  increasing  in  force 
to  a  climax  is  exceedingly  effective,  but  must  be  used  sparingly,  and 
in  only   high-wrought  passion. 

Pauses  are  not  only  necessary,  in  order  to  enable  the  speaker  to  take 
breath  without  inconvenience,  and  hereby  preserve  the  command  of 
the  voice,  but  in  order  to  give  the  hearer  a  distinct  preception  of  the 
construction  and  meaning  of  each  sentence,  and  a  clear  imderstand- 
Ing  of  the  whole.  An  uninterrupted  rapidity  of  utterance  is  one  of 
the  worst  faults  in  elocution.  A  siteakcr,  who  has  this  fault,  may  be 
compared  to  an  alarm  bell,  which,  when  once  put  in  motion,  clatters 
on  till  the  weight  that  moves  it  is  run  down.  Without  pauses,  the 
the  spirit  of  what  is  to  be  delivered  must  be  lost,  and  the  sense  must 


HIXTS  ON  ELOCUTION.  ir, 

be  confused  and  may  even  be  niisrepresenteii  in  .i  m.-inmr  must  ,ili- 
surd  and  contradictory.  There  have  been  recitators,  who  have  made 
Douglas  say  to  Lord  Kandolpli  : — 

"We  fought  and  conquered  ere  a  sword  was  drawn. 
An  arrow  from  my  bow  had  pierced  their  chief,"  <to* 

''We  fought  and  conquered — ere  a  sword  wiis  drawn, 
An  arrow  from  my  bow  had  pierced  their  chief,"  Ac. 
A  mechanical  attention   to   puiictiiatiun   lias,  periiaps,    been   one 

cause  of  monotony,  by  leading  the   reader   to  a  nnifonn  cadeiMf  at 

every  full  period. 

It  is  allowable,  for  the  sake  of  preparinuj  the  audience  of  wlnit  Is  li» 
follow,  sometimes  to  make  a  very  considerable  pause,  where  thegram- 
niaVical  construction  requires  none.  In  doing  this,  however,  it  is 
iiec^essary,  that,  upon  the  word  immediately  preceeding  the  pause, 
the  voice  be  suspended  in  such  a  maiuicr  as  to  intimate  to  the  hearer 
that  the  sense  is  not,  completed.  The  power  of  suspending  the  voice 
at  pleasure  is  one  of  the  most  iiset'iil  altaiiinieiits  in  the  art  of  speak- 
ing; it  enables  the  speaker  to  pause  as  long  as  he  chooses,  and  still 
keep  the  hearer  in  axpectation  of  what  is  to  follow. 

Garrick's  power  of  suspending  the  voice  is  well  described  by 
Sterne:  —  "And  how  did  Garrick  si)eak  the  soliloquy  last  night? 
O,  against  all  rule  my  lord — most  ungramatically  I  Betwixt  the 
substantive  and  the  adjective,  which  should  agree  together  in  num- 
ber, case,  and  gender,  he  made  a  breach  thus, — stopping  as  if  the 
point  wanted  settling;  and  betwixt  the  nominative  case,  which  your 
lordship  knows  should  govern  the  verb,  he  suspended  his  voice  in  the 
epilogue  a  dozen  times,  three  seconds,  and  three  fifths  by  a  stopwatch, 
my  lord,  each  time. — Admirable  grammarian!  But  in  suspending 
his  voice — was  the  sense  suspended  likewise'  Did  no  expression  of 
attitude  or  countenance  fill  up  the  chasm? — Was  the  eye  silent?  Did 
you  narrowly  look? — I  look'd  only  at  the  stopwatch,  my  lord.  Ex- 
cellent observer !" 

There  are  in  every  sentence  certain  words,  which  have  a  greater 
share  in  conveying  the  speaker's  meaning  than  the  rest;  and  are,  on 
this  account,  distinguished  by  the  forcible  manner  in  which  they  are 
uttered.  This  stress,  or  emphasis,  serves  to  uiute  words,  and  form 
them  into  sentences.  By  giving  the  several  parts  of  a  sentence  their 
proper  utterance,  it  discovers  their  full  import  to  the  mind  of  the 
hearer.  It  is  in  the  power  of  Emphasis  to  make  long  and  complex 
sentences  appear  intelligible  and  perspicuous.  But  it  is  necessary, 
that  the  reader  should  be  perfectly  acquainted  with  the  exact  con- 
struction and  full  meaning  of  every  sentence  which  he  recites.  With- 
out this  it  is  impossible  to  give  those  inflections  and  variations  to  the 
voice,  which  nature  requires;   audit    is  for    want  of  this   previous 


IG  IllXTS  OS  ELOCVTIOX. 

Btudv,  more  poili;ip>  tliaii  from  any  otli(>r  cause,  that  we  so  ofien  hear 
persons  reail  with  an  inipropt-i- cnipliasis,  or  witli  no  emphasis  at  all ; 
thai  is  with  a  stupid  monotony,  it  ean  only  he  llie  ctlect  of  close 
attention  ami  lonj;  prav-tice,  to  lie  able,  with  a  merejjlance  of  the  eye, 
to  read  any  idece  \\\X\\  ijood  onnhasis  awl  i/uod  lUscretion.  In  speak- 
injr,  we  seareely  ever  fail  to  express  onrselves  enipiiatleally,  or  to 
phu-e  the  emphasis  oorrecily,  because  we  understand  what  we  say. 

Empfidsis  is  in  readini::,  what  colorinji;  is  in  painting.  It  is  a  com- 
mon mistake  to  think  that  mie  won!  in  a  sentence  shonld  be  empha- 
sized, and  that  empliasis  is  merely  givinji'  a  certain  stress  to  that 
word:  whereas,  some  sentences  do  not  need  any  emphasis,  while  in 
others  two  or  more  words  ought  to  he  emphasised.  Also,  the  degree 
w/sr/f^s  to  be  given  to  a  word  varies  from  the  slightest  tint,  as  it 
were,  to  the  most  intense  coloring,  according  to  the  ground-work  of 
tlie  subject.  To  correctly  projjortion  the  degree  of  emphasis  to  a 
word  is  one  of  the  most  impurtant  i)oints  in  reading.  Every  one  can 
correctly  emphasize  bv  understanding  and  feeling  the  meaning  of 
that  which  he  reads,  as  a  good  i)ainter  can  color  correctly;  but  to 
give  all  the  varied  degrees  of  emphasis  in  reading,  and  the  thousand 
of  tints  in  a  line  picture,  can  only  result  from  the  acute  judgment, 
cultivated  taste,  deep  feeling,  and  last,  not  least,  constant  and  per- 
severing practice. 

"A  countcnaDce  more  in  Sorrow,  than  in  Anger." 

In  some  sentences  the  antithesis  is  double,  and  even  treble ;  this 
must  be  expresseil  in  reading,  by  a  coriesponding  combination  of 
emphasis.     The  following  instances  are  of  tiiis  kind  : 

"To  err  is  human;  to  forgive  divine." 
"Better  to  reign  in  Hell,  than  serve  in  Heav'n. 
"He  rais'd  a  mortal  to  the  skies; 
She  drew  an  angel  down." 

When  any  term  or  phrase  is  used  to  express  some  particular  mean- 
ing, not  obviously  arising  from  the  words,  it  should  be  marked  by  a 

strong  emphasis ;  as : 

"To  BE,  content  his  natural  desire." 

Paraphrasing,  or  drawing  out  the  signification  of  emphatic  words, 
or  hanging  the  words  we  are  accustomed  to  emphasize,  to  another  of 
the  same  import,  is  the  best  guide  where  the  sense  is  not  quite  clear. 

Avoid  emphasizing  too  many  words.  It  is  only  by  prudent  reserves 
in  the  use  of  them,  that  we  can  give  them  any  weight.  If  they  recur 
too  often;  if  a  speaker  attempts  to  render  everything  which  he  says 
of  importance,  by  emphasis,  we  soon  pay  little  regard  to  them.  The 
same  applies  to  action. 

Kead  verse  as  you  would  prose,  avoiding  all  sing-song  and  dwell- 


HINTS  ON  ELOCUTION.  It 

Ing  upon  rhymes.  Let  every  syllable  have  the  same  accent,  and  em- 
phasize the  same  words  as  in  prose.  The  accent  may  be  changed 
when  the  ear  would  be  more  annoyed  with  the  harshness  of  thw 
verse,  if  the  rlo;ht  accent  were  preserved,  tlian  with  a  wrong  accent 
which  preserves  the  melody  of  the  verse.  Where  a  word  admits  ot 
some  diversity  in  placing  the  accent,  the  verse  ought  to  decide ;  but 
when  the  poet  has  contrived  tliat  his  numbers  shall  be  harsh,  in 
order  to  correspond  to  the  idea  they  suggest,  the  common  accentua- 
tion must  be  preserved. 

Do  not  pause  at  the  end  of  a  line  (verse)  unless  there  be  a  pause  in 
the  sentence.  The  best  pronouncers  of  tragedy  have  never  observ- 
ed this  pause.  The  numbers  of  the  verse,  tlie  dignity  of  the  language, 
and  an  inversion  of  the  common  order  of  the  words,  constitute  the 
verse. 

All  verse  requires  a  stated  regular  march  of  the  syllables,  and 
It  is  in  this  march  that  the  grandeur  and  beauty  of  the  verse  consists. 
In  re:iding  blank  veise,  care  must  be  taken  to  steer  between  the  one 
extreme  of  ending  every  line  \\  ith  ;i  pause,  and  the  other,  of  running 
one  line  into  anotiier  more  rapidly  tliau  if  they  were  prose,  as  some 
do  in  seeking  to  avoid  tlie  fault. 

In  reading  rhymed  verse,  where  rhymes  recur  at  regular  inter- 
vals, and  are  well  defined,  as  in  Campbell's  "Hohenlinden,"  do 
not  dwell  upon  them,  but  read  the  rymes  smoothly.  They  will  shew 
themselves.  Where  the  rhymes  recur  .-.t  *ncgular  intervals,  as  in 
Dryden's  "Alexanders'  Feast,"  or  well  defined  slightly  dwell  upon 
them. 

Action  is  important  to  the  orator,  but  it  is  an  error  to  suppose  that 
the  ancients  considered  it  the  most  important  requisite  in  speaking. 
This  mistake  has  probable  arisen  from  a  common  mistranslation  in 
the  anecdote  related  both  by  Cicero  and  Quintilian.  "When 
Demosthenes  was  asked  what  was  the  first  point  of  eloquence,  the 
second,  and  the  third,  he  answered,  'Action,  action,  action.'  " — 
Outhrie^s  Cicero.  Actio,  with  the  Komans,  comprised  tlie  general 
delivery,  or  vvViat  is  now  styled  elocution ;  and  elocution,  the  choice 
of  words,  or  diction.  Dr.  Blair,  in  giving  the  anecdote,  translates 
action  delivery.  That  this  is  the  true  meaning  is  evident;  for  Cicero 
in  a  succeding  paragraph  says  "But  as  to  the  advantages  and  ex- 
cellency of  action,  the  chief  and  most  desirable  line  is  a  good  voice." 

It  has  been  said  that  action  should  not  be  practised,  but  that  if  the 
speaker  be  in  earnest  the  action  will  follow.  True,  but  it  will 
frequently  be  faulty.  The  action  which  we  use  in  public,  if  we  are 
In  earnest,  will  often  be  difterent  to  what  we  used  when  practicing, 
but  that  exercise  will  improve  our  involuntary  gestures. 


IS  HINTS  ON  ELOCUTION, 

Obgerve  the  nttitiule  and  actions  in  paintings,  anrl  scnlpture,  and 
of  aotois  and  orators.  Ado|)t  llio-e  tliat  are  expressive  and  suit  you. 
Tiiose  that  sit  well  on  one  person  may  appear  absurd  when  used  by 
another  of  dlfterent  personal  cliaraeteristics.  Practice  attitudes  and 
actions  by  tlieniseives  witliout  words,  In  the  same  manner  that;  a 
Binger  practices  vocal  expression  apart  from  songs,  and  a  dancer 
l)ructices  steps  and  positions  apart  from  the  dance  of  which  they 
form  parts.  In  speaking,  let  the  action  rise  impulsively,  and  if  you 
feel  naturally,  it  will  be  the  proper  ac;ii>n,  and  come  in  the  right 
l)lace.     From  havin_;  been  practiced  it  will  be  well  executed. 

Support  the  body  on  one  foot — generally  the  lefr — so  tinnly,  that 
the  other  can  relievo  it  jiromptly  and  easily.  Let  the  right  foot  be  a 
few  inches  outwards.  Always  fiice  the  audience,  and  brace  the 
figure  proportionately  to  the  energy  of  the  language.  The  head 
shoidd  be  held  in  an  erect  and  natural  position,  neither  dropping  on 
one  side,  nor  thrown  l):Kk.  Do  not  shake  or  nod  the  head  frequent- 
ly, toss  it  violently,  or  a'^iiian  the  hair  by  rolling  it  about.  The 
hair  should  not  he  allowed  to  cl  "sler  or  hang  over  the  forehead. 
Keep  the  elbow  from  inclining  to  llie  body.  Avoid  swaying  your 
body  from  side  to  side. 

In  all  motions  of  the  limbs,  the  movement  ought  generally  to 
jiroceed  from  the  superior  part;  that  is,  iroui  the  shoulder,  not  the 
elbow;  from  the  thigh,  not  the  knee;  from  the  knuckle,  not  the 
linger  joint;  otherwise  the  movement  w  ill  be  angular  and  ungrace- 
ful.    Sometimes  angular  actions  are  natural. 

The  hands  are  capable  of  great  exjjression,  and  ought  not  to  be 
covered.  The  right  hand  should  perform  the  principal  and  greater 
number  of  gestures.  Its  aciion  should  be  more  forcible  than  that  of 
the  left.  Each  arm  may  perform  similar  gestures  when  the  body  of 
the  speaker  is  jnesented  towards  the  person  addressed  precisely  in 
front,  but  not  otherwise;  for  one  arm  would  conceal  the  other. 
Never  mark  a  single  idea  or  word  with  more  than  one  gesture. 
Aciion  must  be  moditied  by  the  costume. 

Changes  of  action  must  acconl  with  tiie  language.  Sometimes  the 
transition  must  be  instantaneous;  at  other,  modulating  through  other 
gestures.  The  calnser  the  language,  the  slower  should  be  the  move- 
ments; Awdi  vice  versa. 

Direct  your  eyes  to  those  you  address,  unless  the  subject  requires 
them  to  be  raised,  etc.  Never  use  any  gestures  merely  for  the  dis- 
play of  the  person,  or  of  some  ornament.  Never  arrange  your  dress 
while  speaking. 

In  painting  descriptions  by  gestures,  great  judgment  is  necessary. 
In  some  Cfuses,  a  most  powerful  and  natural  effect  may  be  produced; 
whil-t  in  others,  descriptions  lealized  would  be  most  ridiculous. 


HINTS  ON  ELOCUTION.  i9 

Generally,  the  voice,  features,  and  limbs  should  eimnltaneously 
express  the  same  passion  or  thought.  Sometimes  the  action  should 
precede  the  voice,  as  in  ill  suppressed  feeling. 

Decisionof  action  is  more  important  than  grace.  The  most  un- 
graceful action  if  decided,  will  be  more  effective  than  the  most 
graceful  without  decision.  The  two  are  seldom  combined  in  their 
highest  degrees. 

Study  repose ;  witiiout  it,  both  in  action  and  speech,  the  eyes, 
ears,  and  minds  of  the  audience,  and  the  powers  of  the  spealier,  are 

alilvc  fat'gued. 

The  language  of  passion  is  uniformly  taught  by  Natuie,  and  is 
everywhere  intelligible.  It  consists  in  the  use  of  tones,  looks,  and 
gestures.  When  anger,  fear,  joy,  grief,  love,  or  any  other  passion 
is  raised  within  us.  we  naturally  discover  it  by  the  manner  in  which 
we  utter  our  words,  by  the  features  of  the  face,  and  by  other  well 
known  siijns.  The  eyes  and  countenance  as  well  as  the  voice,  are 
capable  of  endless  variety  of  expression,  suited  to  every  possible 
diversity  of  feeling,  and  with  these  the  general  air  and  gesture 
naturally  accord.  The  use  of  this  language  is  not  confined  to  the 
more  vehement  passions.  Upon  every  subject  and  occasion  on 
which  we  speak,  some  kijid  of  feeling  accompanies  the  words;  and 
this  feeling,  whatever  it  may  be,  has  it's  proper  expression. 

It  is  an  essential  part  of  elocution,  to  imitate  this  language  of 
Nature.  But  precept  can  afford  little  assistance.  To  describe  in 
words  the  particular  expression,  which  belongs  to  each  emotion  :ind 
passion,  is  wholly  impracticable.  All  attempts  to  enable  men  to 
become  orators,  by  teaching  tliera,  in  written  rules,  the  manner  in 
which  the  voice,  countenance,  and  hands,  are  to  be  employed  in 
expressing  the  passion,  must  from  the  nature  of  the  thing,  be  ex- 
ceedingly imperfect,  and  consequently  ineffectual. 

Therefore,  observe  the  manner  in  \\  hich  the  several  passions  and 
feelings  are  expressed  in  real  life;  and  when  you  attempt  to  ex- 
press any  passion,  inspire  yourself  with  that  secondary  kind  of 
feeling  which  imagination  is  able  to  excite;  and  follow  your  feel- 
ings with  no  other  re-strain  than  "this  special  observance,  that  you 
o'er  step  not  the  modesty  of  nature." 

Study  not  only  the  the  effect  of  the  passions,  but  also  their  effect 
on  your  own  face,  that  you  may  distinguish  those  whieh  become, 
fjom  tho-e  which  distort  it.  Distinuuish  the  difference  be&ween  an 
alternation  of  the  features  expressing  the  feelings,  and  the  grimaces 
that  attend  a  play  of  the  muscles. 

■J'ake  care  not  to  work  your-elf  up  to  tears:  yet  if  they  flow 
naturally  do  not  attempt  to  Slop  tlieui.  When  tears  flow  nauirally 
they  effect  powerfully. 


fO  BIXTS   ON  ELOCUTION. 

Above  all,  be  in  earnest.  When  the  Bishoo  of  London  asked 
]Jetterton,  ''AVliat  could  be  the  reiison  that  whole  audiences  should 
be  moved  to  tears,  and  have  all  sorts  of  passions  excited,  at  tlie 
representation  of  some  story  on  the  stajre,  w  Inch  they  knew  to  be 
feii^ned,  and  in  the  event  of  whidi  they  were  not  at  all  concerned; 
but  that  the  same  persons  should  sit  so  utterly  unmoved  at  dis- 
courses from  the  pulpit,  upon  subjects  of  the  utmost  importance  to 
them,  relative  not  only  to  their  temporal,  but  also  their  eternal 
interests ■::"'  he  received  from  the  trngeiiian  this  memorable  reply, 
"My  Lord,  it  is  because  tee  are  in  earnest.'"  But  before  resigning 
yourself  to  the  sway  of  your  feelings,  be  sure  that  you  have  the 
power  of  guiding  and  correcting  tiiem  when  they  are  growing 
impetuous.  "For  in  the  very  torrent,  tempest,  and  (as  I  m.iy  say) 
the  whirlwind  of  passion,  you  must  acquire  and  beget  a  temperance, 
that  may  give  it  smoothness." 

Do  not  mistake  loudness  for  intensity.  Intensity  relates  to  passion 
or  feeling;  loudness  to  amount  of  voice.  The  forn)er  should  be 
proportioned  to  the  language ;  the  latter  to  the  size  of  the  place. 
Their  diHerence  is  that  of  passion  and  rant,  nature  and  extravagance. 

Let  there  be  variety  in  the  pitch  of  your  voice,  high,  low,  &c., 
according  to  the  nature  of  the  language — variety  in  tlie  tones,  every 
feeling  being  expressed  by  its  natural  tone,  as  the  tone  of  anger, 
grief,  &c.. — variety  in  the  degree  of  force  given  to  each  phrase, 
according  to  its  importance — variety  in  the  movement,  slow,  fast, 
&c.,  according  to  the  subject:  but  let  all  this  variety  be  used  only 
as  required  by  the  language,  and  never  merely  for  the  sal<e  of 
display. 

All  public  speaking  and  reading,  but  especially  acting  and  recit- 
ing, must  be  a  little  heightened  above  oi-dinary  nature,  the  pauses 
benig  longer  and  more  frequent,  the  tones  stronger,  the  action  more 
forcible,  and  the  expression  more  highly  colored.  It  should  be  the 
same  in  quality,  hut  larger  in  quantity.  The  greater  numbtr  of  the 
atiditors  being  at  a  distance,  it  must  have  stronger  touciies  and 
greater  light  and  shade  than  would  be  correct  or  nece-sar}'  for  a 
near  view  alone,  but  yet  be  so  moderated  as  not  to  disgust  the 
nearest  auditors  by  gross  exaggeration — as  a  statute  or  picture, 
j)laced  at  a  distance,  must  be  larger  than  life,  but  yet  a  perfect  re- 
semblance; the  features  must  be  colossal,  but  not  different. 

Action  should  not  be-used  in  ordinary  or  scriptural  reading  im- 
pnssioned  language  where  the  leader,  for  the  time  is  in  the  place  of 
the  author,  or  in  leading  from  a  MS.  aiMrt'ss,  as  a  sermon,  speech, 
Ac,  a  moderate  amount  of  action  may  be  used,  but  it  must  be 
impulsive. 


HINTS  ON  ELOCUTION.  21 

In  reading,  the  book  should  be  lield  in  the  left  hand,  a  few  inclies 
from  the  body,  and  as  high  as  the  center  of  the  breast,  the  face 
being  nearly  perpendicular.  It  should  not,  however,  be  held  so 
high  as  to  prevent  the  audience  from  seeing  the  reader's  mouth, 
as  the  voice  would  there-by  be  more  or  less  obstructed,  and  the 
expression  of  the  features  partly  concealed.  The  head  should 
neither  be  thrown  back,  nor  bent  forward,  but  be  easily  erect.  If 
you  stand  before  a  desk,  stand  at  such  a  distance  from  it,  and  let  the 
desk  be  of  that  height,  that  you  can  see  to  read  without  stopping. 
If  your  sight  be  not  good,  it  will  be  better  for  you  to  wear  spectacles 
than  to  stoop  to  see.  The  fingers  of  the  right  hand  may  hold  the 
margin  of  the  book  lightly,  so  as  to  be  ready  to  turn  over  the  leaves, 
or  they  may  be  placed  just  below  the  line  the  reader  is  pronouncing, 
to  aid  him  in  keeping  his  place. 

The  eyes  should  occasionally  be  directed  from  the  words  of  the 
discourse  to  the  audience. 

It  is  impossible  for  Mil y  one,  however  gifted,  to  become  a  finished 
elocutionist,  without  considerable  study  and  practice.  It,  perhaps 
more  than  any  other  art,  depends  on  the  latter,  without  which, 
theory  will  be  unavailing. 

In  practice,  do  not  pause  to  correct  a  fault,  or  a  habit  of  hesitating 
and  correcting,  often  unnecessarily,  will  be  formed.  Finish  the 
sentence,  and  then  speak  it  again.  In  public,  correct  a  fault,  if 
palpable,  but  not  otherwise. 

Let  the  length  of  the  passage  you  select  for  practice  be  propor- 
tioned to  the  time  you  can  devote  to  it,  so  that  you  can  repeat  it 
twice  or  thrice  during  the  time.  At  flrsr,  study  well  every  sentence, 
speaking  carefully;  afterwards,  ^vith  more  spirit.  Before  the 
passage  becomes  wearisome,  select  another,  and  after  a  time  recur 
to  the  former.  If  you  have  more  time  than  you  can  exercise  with- 
out becoming  fatigued,  practice  a  portion  in  subdued  manner,  but 
with  distinct  articulation,  expression,  &c. 

The  ancients  had  a  method  of  practicing,  styled  "the  silent 
preparation  of  the  voice."  Cresolinus  illustrates  it  by  a  story  Irom 
Plutarch  : — "A  barber  at  Kome  had  a  magpie,  possessing  great 
imitative  tnlents.  'i'he  funeral  procession  of  a  rich  citizen  stopped 
iitar  the  barber's  shop,  and  a  solemn  piece  of  music  by  trumpet  was 
performed,  tor  three  days  afterwards  the  magpie  kept  such 
profound  silence,  that  it  w:is  feared  his  ear  had  been  stunned  by  the 
trumpets,  and  that  his  talent  and  voice  were  lost;  but  after  this 
long  silence,  to  tlie  admiration  and  astonishment  of  all,  he  began 
to  imitate  pciCectly  the  whole  music;  so  that  his  three  days'  silence,' 
Plutarch  observes,  "arose  from  his  mentally  practicing   the  music." 


£2  EixTS  OX  elocution: 

Mrs.  Siddons,  Garriok,  and  many  eminent  orators  pursued  the  same 
method. 

In  committing  to  memory,  first  read  the  whole  passage;  then 
learn  the  first  sentence  or  paragraph;  then  the  second;  then  join 
the  latter  to  ihe  former,  arjfl  so  on  to  the  end — always  going  back 
to  tile  first  line.  If  very  long,  divide  into  sections,  and  learn  one 
at  a  tin)e  in  the  above  manner.  Learn  aloud,  but  in  a  subdued 
voice.  !Night  is  tlie  best  time  for  committing  to  memory.  If  you 
have  been  imperfect  in  the  words  of  a  speech,  &c.,  read  them  over 
vwo  or  three  times  the  same  day  or  night,  and  they  will  be  fixed  in 
your  memory  the  next  morning. 

Endeavor  to  Icaru  something  from  every  one,  either  bj'  imitating, 
but  not  .>-ervilely,  what  is  good,  or  avoiding  the  bad.  Remember 
that  trifies  make  perfection,  and  that  perfection  is  no  trifle. 

Never  read  a  speech  if  you  can  avoid  it.  Use  notes  to  refer  to,  if 
you  cannot  dispense  with  all  aid.  To  impart  to  the  delivery  of  a 
written  discourse  something  of  the  vivacity  and  interesting  efl'ect  Of 
real,  earnest  speaking,  the  reader  must  draw  off  his  mind  as  much 
as  possible  from  the  thought  that  he  is  reading,  and  from  too  much 
thought  respecting  his  utterance;  he  must  fix  his  mind  as  earnestly 
as  possible  on  the  matter,  and  strive  to  adojjt  as  bis  own,  at  the 
moment  of  utterance,  every  i-entiment  he  delivers.  Children  should 
be  early  accustomed  to  read  as  they  speak,  and  to  give  up,  as  much 
as  possible,  purel}'  mechanical  reading. 

Frequently  recite  comijositions  from  memory.  This  method  has 
several  advantages.  It  obliges  the  speaker  to  dwell  upon  the  ideas 
•w  hich  he  is  to  express,  and  hereby  enables  him  to  discern  their 
particular  meaning  and  force,  and  gives  him  a  previous  knowledge 
of  the  several  inflections,  emphasis,  ami  tones,  which  the  words 
require;  by  taking  off  his  eyes  from  the  book,  it  in  part  lelieves  him 
from  the  influence  of  the  school-boy  habit  of  reading  in  a  diff'orent 
manner  from  that  of  conversation  ;  and  it  affords  greater  scope  for 
expression  in  tones,  looks,  and  gestures."  .Such  recitation,  as  the 
great  Lord  Clarendon  says,  is,  "ihe  best  and  most  natural  way  to 
introduce  an  assurance  and  confiilencein  speaking  with  that  leisure 
and  to'ie  of  prontinciation  that  is  di  cent  and  gracclul.  and  in  which 
go  few  iM'  11  atf  fxc'llent,  for  want  of  information  and  care  when 
they  ai-e  3oiMig.' 


HINTS  ON    ELOrUTlON.  -•' 

A  FEW   USEFUL  HINTS  TO  AMATEUB  COMFANIES. 

— >— ?14(»fs--' — 

BY      A.       D.      AMES. 

— :o: — 

There  are  at  the  present  time  so  many  Amatucr  Coinpjiniea 
througlioiit  the  U.  S.,  that  a  few  words  of  iiistruution  to  them  will 
not  be  amiss.  There  is  no  class  of  amusements  which  are  so  enter- 
taining to  younj;  people,  as  Amaliier  Theatricals.  In  .-iddilion  to 
the  amnseuient  it  aftords,  it  is  one  the  bes-t  methods  Known  to  the 
writer  of  giving  that  confidence  so  much  needed  by  all  young  people 
■when  it  becomes  necessary  for  them  to  speak  and  act  in  public. 

An  Amatuer  Company  should  consist  ol  about  eight  to  tt  n  gentle- 
men and  thiee  to  live  ladies,  and  should  they  wish  for  a  Constitution 
and  By  Laws,  the  following  will  be  found  about  what  is  needed: 

Art  1. — Namk. 

This  association  shall  be  called 

Art  II. — Object. 

For  the  mutual  benefit  of  its  members.  Advancement  in  the  Art 
of  Acting,  and  Elocuiion. 

Art  III. — Officers.  *^ 

The  officeis  shall  consist  of  stage   mnnager,   business   manager,  sec- 
retary, treasurer,  prompter  and  property  man. 

Art  IV. — DLties  of  Officers. 

Sec.  1st.  It  sliall  be  the  duty  ot  thr  stage  manager  to  preside  at 
all  meetings  of  tbe  club,  to  direct  rehearsals,  distribute  parts  in 
the  plays,  and  vviih  the  business  manager  to  select  [days  for  repre- 
sentation, and  to  make  out  a  list  of  properties. 

Sec.  2nd.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  business  manager  to  attend 
to  all  the  business  that  may  arise  in  the  course  of  giving  public 
representaiions,  such  as  renting  rooms,  halls,  ordering  printing, 
plays,  etc.,  and  sboidd  it  happen  tbat  tbe  stage  manager  is  absent 
from  a  regular  meeting  to  preside  in  liis  absence. 

Sec.  3rd.  It  shall  i  elite  duly  of  the  secretary  to  keep  full  and 
complete  records  of  tbe  i)roceedings  of  the  club. 

Sec,  4tb.  It  sball  be  tbe  duty  ot  tlie  tieasurer  to  safely  keep  all 
funds  of  tbe  club,  an<l  pay  the  same  only  on  order  of  the  business 
manager  and  seeittais  . 

Sec.  M\.  It  shall  be  tbe  duty  of  the  prompter  to  ]irnnii)t  tbe  actor 
when  pertorniiiig  :in.l  to  be  prestuii  at  all  reliears:ds  u  lienever  the 
aiLeniptis  maile  to  n-eitf  tin-  part  witboui    tbe  aid  of  the  text. 


Sec.  6tli.  It  shall  be  tlie  duly  oi  luc  prDpcrLy  man  to  procure  the 
properties,  as  made  out  by  the  stage  ruanager. 

By-Laws,  etc.,  can  be  added  to  the  foregoing  as  may  be  deemed 
advisable,  but  it  is  recommended  th  t  there  be  as  lew  laws,  etc.,  as 
possible,  as  in  the  writer's  experience  he  has  found  that  they  are 
more  liable  to  make  trouble  with  a  company,  than  they  are  to  assist 
in  the  transaction  of  the  bu  iness  of  the  organization. 

The  first  officer  to  be  elected  is  your  stage  manager,  who  is  also  to 
act  as  president  of  the  club,  when  they  met  for  the  transaction  of 
business.  It  may  be  said  iiere,  that  the  success  of  the  public  per- 
formances of  the  club  depend  to  a  great  extent  upon  this  stage 
officer.  For  this  position,  then,  use  your  best  juiigement.  He 
should  be  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  plays  to  be  presented,  and  with 
stage  business  generally;  one  who  has  a  large  stock  of  patience  and 
all  in  all  a  good  actor.  It  will  be  better  for  the  company  if  this 
officer  does  not  take  part  in  public  performances.  It  rests  with  this 
officer  to  assist  the  business  manager  to  select  proper  dramas  for 
representation,  and  to  distribute  tiie  ])arts  to  the  best  of  his  own 
judgment,  using  no  partiality  with  his  fellows,  not  giving  a  special 
friend  the  leading  characters,  but  to  distribute  them  in  all  cases,  to 
those  who  can  do  them  the  best  justice.  Some  players  are  adapted 
to  a  certain  line  of  characters,  which  as  far  as  possible  should  be 
given  them. 

The  stage  manager  should  be  firm  in  his  ofilce  and  should  never 
change  a  part  when  once  given  out,  unless  positively  necessary. 

The  second  officer  to  be  elected  is  business  manager.  This  officer 
should  have  complete  control  of  all  business  coimected  with  the 
club,  and  should  be  a  good  business  man. 

The  property  man  should  use  the  greatest  care  in  procuring 
properties  and  should  have  everything  in  readiness  at  the  last 
rehearsal. 

To  the  members  of  the  club  who  take  the  active  parts  on  the 
stage: — Submit  to  the  decision  of  your  stage  manager  in  all  cases 
with  grace.  No  matter  if  his  decision  is  difierent  from  what  yours 
would  be  under  the  same  circumstances.  Keep  your  temper,  and  if 
you  are  cast  for  a  small  part  take  it  with  pleasure,  play  it  to  the  best 
of  your  ability,  aiid  if  you  merit  longer  parts  rest  assured  you  will 
get  them  in  due  season.  The  part  of  a  servant  well  played  is  much 
more  to  your  credit  than  that  of  a  leading  part  poorly  plaj^ed. 

The  first  rehearsal  sliould  be  a  reading  one,  i.  e.,  the  parts  should 
be  read  from  the  play  book.  The  actors  getting  their  positions 
merely,  but  all  subsequent  ones  should  be  from  memory,  and  sliould 
be  perfect.  Above  all  things  do  not  ever  go  upon  the  stage  before 
an  audience  with  your  part  half  committed  to  memory. 


p 


HINTS  OX  ELOCUTION.  95 

There  are  two  rules  every  iunatuer  sliould  bear  in  miiifl,  the  key 
to  iill  success: — 

1st.     Have  your  pari  pcrfci'Lly  cuinmitted  to  iiieiiiory. 

2nd.  Speak  loud  enouj^h  to  be  heard  in  all  parts  of  the  audience 
room. 

.  It  will  make  no  diflerence  how  well  you  may  understand  clot  ution 
and  the  rules  of  it,  unless  j^ou  can  easily  be  l.eard  in  all  parts  of  the 
audience  room  all  your  eftbrts  will  be  in  vain. 

In  choosing  plays  do  not  take  long  or  difticult  plays  with  elaborate 
costumes  and  scenery.  Inste:id,  choose  a  play  adapted  to  tlic  aliiliry 
of  the  members  of  your  company,  then   your  entertainments  will   be 

BUOC«8»ful. 


THX     END. 


Ames'  Select  Recita- 
tions; No.  1. 

FOR  SCHOOLS,  HOME  AND  LITEl^ARY  CIRCLES.  AND 
ALL  KINDS  OF  ENTEKTAuNMENTS. 


CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

BoT,  Thb 13 

Christmas  Long  Ago Roil  Furrell  Oreen. .  lo 

Christmas*  Rkmini8CENCB! B.  < '.  liKjersoll 8 

COLU,  Ain't  Ii'".' Will  Templei- 20 

College  Graduate 2H 

Cockswain  s  Story 30 

Caliber  Fiftv-Four 47 

Ed  ANU  1 H.  L.   Wilhelm 5 

Factory  Bkll 25 

House  of  .Iones W.  8.  Bngga 17 

Haku  to  Conquer 2'A 

Hog  That  Rides  in  a  Wagon Will  Temple 32 

Ideal  Husband  Non  Est T.  B.  Aldricit 3(5 

]jicen8E  Town Abbie  Siww 37 

Memory 4 

Mk.  Peters  of  Schoharie,  Moralizes 35 

Mine  ScniLDHOOD 42 

NoRAH  M'GiLL Lena  Oyles.    28 

NiOHT  Before  Christmas Harriet  Fro  nets 34 

NiouT  After  Christmas W.  J.  Laiapton 16 

Otbr  Thk  Hills  and  Far  Away Eugene  Field 9 

Oa,  Country  1  Fair  and  Fruitful FranriH  Vleuerne. . .  10 

OtD  Jim Will  Tempter 26 

OvBR  the  River Nancy  Prient 41 

Pluck  and  Prayer 21 

Plain  Opinion ^usie  M.  Best 24 

Priok,  The Tom  Max.ion- 32 

Railroad  Journey Rubert  Huyhen 39 

Rat,  Th v.  N  kwsboy FranctK  Smith 43 

Speak  a  Kind  Word  When  You  Can H.  Af.  Addmoa 38 

Shb  Gave  Me  Away Tom  Hall 7 

This  Old  Country 18 

TiKKU  Woman's  Epitaph 19 

Tickling  the  Soft  Spot 40 

Village  Sewing  Society 45 

■Visit  to  Grandpa's Lydia  Watagn 12 

Work— Not  Alms William  H.  HiO, 19 

Wka.t'b  Thk  Good? 26 

PRICE  15  CENTS  EACH-  


•^Unele  Zaehary 

of  Vermont.-^* 

A  Comedy-drama  in  2  acts,  by  Bert  C.  Rawley,  author  of  "Uncle 

Jed's  Fidelity,  The  Fre*^man  Mill  Strike,  Trixie.  Our  Summer 

Boarders,  Stupid  Cupid,  Andy  Freckles,  Badly  Mixed, 

etc.."  for  6  male  and  2  female  characters.    Costumes 

modern.   Time  of  plaving  1  hour  and  40  minutes. 

/?  YNOPSIS  OF  E  VENTS. 

ACT  T. — Pliillip  Buckley's  law  office — .Tasper  imparts  a  secret  and 
Fret'moiit  receives  a  note — A  social  discussion  in  the  legal  sanclnm 
— Folsom  discovered — "Forgery,  eh!" — Phillip  surprised — Jasper  in 
hard  luck — Uncle  Zaehary  arrives,  likewise  aunt  Amanda,  band 
boxes,  etc. — "I'm  completely  flustered" — Folsom  puz/les  Zaehary — 
,'I  don't 'zactly  like  his  looks!" — An  interrupted  tete-a-tete — Folsom 
accuses  and  Winifred  resents  an  insult — A  business  transaction — A 
dastardly  plot— .lasper  earns  a  "dollah" — The  missing  wallet^Free- 
moiit  accused— Zachery  proves  a  true  friend — "Go!  go  quick  afore  I 
blubber  right  out!" 

ACT  II. — Phillip  Buckley's  home — Aunt  Amanda  gossips  Ji  little 
— Znchary  reviews  the  "Exhibition"— "Thay  wuz  electricity  too" — 
Zaehary  has  more  suspicions  and  imparts  them  to  Phillip — "Taint 
no  crime  to  win  a  woman's  heart,  Phil" — Amanda  writes  a  letter 
home — Jasper  in  holiday  attire^Father  and  daughter — A  confession 
^Francis  and  Winifred — "Mr.  Freemont  is  a  gentleman  and  you- 
you  are  the  opposite" — Freemont  returns — "I  intend  to  give  myself 
up!" — Winifred  warns  Freemont — "I  mean  that  I  love  you  Winifred" 
—Francis  in  a  new  role — Jasper  implicates  Francis  and  frees  Free- 
mont from  guilt — "Dat's  de  trufe" — A  bit  of  forgery — Francis  dis- 
graced^ — Lawrence  vindicated.  Price  25cts. 

I^ete  Beetroot; 

-OR- 

Jigs,  Jags  and  Jiiagles. 

A  farce  in  1  act,  by  L.  E.  Chenoweth,  C.  M.  A.,  for  2  male  and 
2  female  characters.  Time  of  playing,  .SO  minutes.  A  side-splitting 
negro  eccentricity  in  which  Pete  Beetroot,  working  for  thirty  cents 
and  two  dollars  change,  who  plays  .se\  eral  parts;  Hamlet  Footlights, 
a  lialf-crazy  actor,  and  January'  and  February  March,  two  niiliiarv 
maids,  contrive  to  get  so  mixed  up  as  to  produce  a  whirlwind  of  the 
heartiest  fun.  A  sure  winner  for  amateurs  as  well  as  professionals. 
Everything  new  and  sparkling.     Not  a  dry  line  in  llir  sketch. 

Price  15cts. 


TRIXIE: 


-OR- 


The  Wizard  of  Fogg 
Island. 

A  draana  in  3  acts  by  Bert  C.  Rawley,  for  6  male  and  3 
female  characters.     Costumes  tt)  suit  charac- 
ters.    Time  of  playing,  1  hour  and 
30  minutes. 


SYNOPSIS  OF  EVENTS. 

ACT  I.  SMiie  I. — Webber  mansion — Mr.  and  Mrs.  Webber  disouss 
the  future  welfare  of  their  son.  King — King  and  .Jennie  return  from 
a  pleasure  trip— The  Wizard's  prediction — Anthony  Webber  makes 
a  discovery — The  secret — "There  is  onl\'  one  \vilne.ss  to  my  crime!" 
^A  glimpse  of  the  past — The  fata!  card — "I  must  find  a  way  of 
escape."  Scene  II. — Fogg  Island — The  Wizard's  cave— Little  Trixle 
—A  song  brings  fond  memories — A  disconteiided  lady— A  father's 
good  advice — An  Irishman's  idea— The  lost  locket — The  loser  loses 
his  head.  Sceru  III. — Webber  mansion — Terry  and  Penny  Ante 
have  an  interview — Surprised — Father  and  daughter — The  saored 
promise — The  living  witness — The  Wizard  appears. 

ACT  II.  Seen*  I. — Wizard's  cave — Terry  and  Penny  arrive— 
Penny's  libber  out  of  order — The  Wizard's  soliloquy — Trixie  and  th« 
Nvounded  man — The  dismay  of  the  Wizard — King  Webber — Terry  is 
puzzled — Clitford  Ellison  arrives— His  resolve — A  glimpse  of  the  past 
--"Who  is  this  man?" — The  attempted  murder — Trixie  on  deck — 
Foiled.  Scene  //.—(Lapse  of  one  month)— Webber's  mansion— Penny's 
disordered  libber — Terry's  little  scheme — Ellison's  presentiments — 
Mother  and  BOD — A  mother's  pleading — The  secret — "It  is  murder, 
my  son!" — The  Wizard  appears — "No,  my  friend,  your  father  is 
ionocent" — May  God  bless  you." 

ACT  III.— Webber  mansion— The  answer  given.  "No!"— Ellison 
threatens — Despair — The    evidence     destroyed — "Warner    Webber 

vesl" — Foiled — Jennie's  flight — The  Wizard's  Daughter— United  at 
iMk  Price  ISotrS. 

A  $10,000  WAGER. 

Faroe  in  2  acts,  by  I.  M.  Q.  Wood,  4  male,  2  female  oharaoten. 
Time,  30  minutes.  Miss  Clara  Farly,  Judge  Flint's  neice,  wages 
110,000  that  he  will  give  his  consent  to  the  marriage  of  his  neioe, 
Minnie,  to  Walter  Bland,  whom  he  has  refused  to  accept  as  her 
suitor.  The  means  she  takes  to  obtain  the  wager  is  very  amasing. 
The  characters  are  all  good,  will  make  a  good  after  piece.     Price  ISo. 


Sibyl  Grey; 

— OH— 

The  Gambler's  Atone- 
__jiient__ 

A  drama  In  3  acts,  by  Hilton  Coon,  for  7  male  and  5  female  ohar- 

acturs.    Time  of  playing  1  hour  and  80  mluutea. 

Costumes  modern. 


CAST  OF  CHABAGTERS. 


David  Weybourne, The  rector  at  DeepTiaven. 

Is  KD  Ci  K KY, His  nephew,  an  wphan. 

AViiJ.AKD  G  KAHAM, The  gaviblei'. 

Horace  Bukton A  banker. 

AV A i/riiu  Hu KTON, His  son. 

]iEN  J ENKiNS The  bus  dviveT. 

.1  AMES, A  servant. 

Bkssi e  Bukton The  banker's  daughter. 

SiBYi-  Grey Ned's  sister, 

I'KTKUcnxA  Jenkins, A  Deephaven  idyll. 

HuTCHiNS, A  housekeeper. 

jMaky A  maid. 


SYNOPSIS  OF  EVENTS. 

ACT  I. — Deephaven  Rectory — Hutchins  and  Bessie — Getting  ready 
for  Hie  picnic — Wiliard  Graham — "My  happiness  alone  depends  upon 
Ills  answer  and  lier's" — Tlie  Rector's  answer — Walter  Burton  pays 
Graham  notes  of  $1,000— "I  have  played  my  last  card" — The  good- 
bye— Oflf  for  the  picnic. 

ACT  11. — Library  in  Horace  Burton's  New  York  home — Mary  and 
James — "You  can  be  at  a  director's  meeting  and  still  be  next  door 
to  a  jag — Horace  Burton — Home  from  the  theatre — The  first  shadow 
of  coming  trouble — The  Graydon  bonds — Horace  Burton  gives  the 
bonds  to  his  son  Walter,  for  safe  keeping — "I  will  do  my  best  to  ful- 
fill the  trust" — Graham,  the  gambler,  makes  his  appearance — Ned 
overhears  Graham  threaten  Walter — The  attempted  robbery. 

Scene  II. — The  ball — Walter  tells  Ned  his  story — Graham  after 
money — Sibyl's  presentiment — "M}'  husband  a  forger?" — Graham 
confesses  that  he  was  the  forger 

ACT  HI. — Deephaven  Rectory— Looking  for  a  letter — ''A  wife's 
duty  is  with  her  husband" — The  arrival  of  Mr.  Burton,  Walter  and 
Bessie — "Wilhird  Graham  isdead" — A  message  from  the  dead — For- 
given— "Sibyl,  let  us  respect  the  dead  and  forgive  Wiliard  Graham" 
— A  happy  ending.  Price  15cta. 


-Mhe  Little  Wife.^ 


,/V./*x*-\,''^/N 


▲  Comedy  Drama  in  4  acts,  by  A.  Z.  riiipinan,  tor  6  malo  and  3 

female  characlers.    Costiiiiu's  inodcrii.  -  Time  ot  play- 

ing,  1  hour  aud  40  minutes. 


OAST  OF  CHARACTKRS. 

Bob  Quick, A.  U.  S.  8.  S.  D. 

JoK  Clayton Afunner  lad. 

CouNCEi.i.OK  (jOkman, A  trickster. 

Injun  John T/ie  doctor. 

Coi..  M AiTKRSON Vida's father. 

BcuBi.KS, Colored  servant. 

EsTKLLB  Adair, Under  a  cloud. 

ViOA, A  child  martyr. 

Mauulinb  Adair Adventurais. 


SYNOPSrS  OF  EVENTS. 

ACT  I. — Sunset  Park — Waiting  for  the  mail — Gorman  starts  his 
little  sclieme — Joe  takes  a  hand — Vida  surprised — The  song  and  the 
echo — A  mother's  grave — Bob  Quick  with  a  bundle  so  thick — Vida 
and  Joe  talk  business — A*contemptable  plot — The  two  daughters — 
Vida's  eyes  are  opened — "1  may  be  small,  but  I  am  still  on  earth!', 
— Crushed  roses — "I  must  be  first  choice  in  your  heart  or  none!" 

ACT  II. — Two  weeks  supposed  to  have  elapsed — Colonel  Matter- 
son's  Library,  St.  George  Hotel — Another  scandal — Bob  tries  to 
fascinate  Vida — A  busted  scheme — Gorman  returns — Writing  a  let- 
ter at  the  wrong  time — Two  eyes  watching— Vida's  little  trick — The 
wedding  gift  torn  to  pieces — "A  father  who  is  robbing  liis  own 
child!" 

ACT  III. — Mountainside  farm,  Joe's  home — Vida  turns  cook — ■ 
Coffee  for  three — Pepper  and  spaulding's  glue — The  visitors — "I've 
loved,  only  to  be  knocked  out" — "I  don't  care  if  a  grist-mill  busts!" 
— Knife  and  fork  serenade — Gorman  and  his  umbrella — "There  is 
the  check  and  there  is  tlie  door!" 

ACT  IV. — Madeline  Adair's  private  parlor,  St.  George  hotel — Five 
hours  supposed  to  have  elapsed — Madeline  is  resolved — Quick  tries 
to  reason — Shut  ofif  by  the  size  of  his  foot — Estelle  does  not  succeed 
In  her  good  intentions — Arrival  of  Injun  John — Vida  and  John  to 
the  rescue — Awest  of  Gorman — A  united  family. 

PRICE  15  CENTS 


— THE- 

MECHANIC'S 


REPRIEVE. 


A  Dr.ima  in  3  aols,  by  John  M.  Murphy,  for  8  male  and 

3  Jeinale  characlers.     Time  of  playing  1 

hour  and  50  minutes. 


—  PRICE  15  CENTS  PER  COPY. — 


SYNOPSIS  OF  EVENTS. 


ACT  r.— Colonel  Harrington  informs  his  daughter  Mary,  of  Lester 
Wilson's  inteuLkul  visit — Uan  Trogan  and  the  horses— ,lohn  Rogers, 
the  mechanic — His  proposal  accepted  by  Mary — "U'  a  body  kiss  a 
body" — Annie  and  Mary — E.  Z.  Walke",  as  a  tramp,  appears — Annie 
interested  in  the  tramp — "Me  heart  is  broke  and  me  back  is  in  the 
same  yard,"  says  Dan — Colonel  gives  his  consent  for  Wilson  to  ad- 
dress Mary — Mary  and  Wilson^  the  proposal  rejected — "He's  nothing 
but  a  meciianic" — ^A  plot  to  ruin  John  Rogers — The  stolen  money 
and  murder  of  Colonel  Harrington — John  accused  of  murder,  by 
Wilson — Mary's  failh  in  her  lover — Arrest  of  Rogers. 

ACT  n. — The  tramp  returns,  meets  Annie  and  Dan — Annie  tells 
Walker  of  the  murder  and  the  conviction  of  Rogers — "He  hangs  to- 
day"—"lean  and  will  save  him" — Mar}' intercedes  with  the  Governor 
for  a  reprieve — The  reprieve  granted — "A  ride  for  a  life" — Walker 
tells  the  Governor  thai  he  murdered  Col.  Harrington,  in  order  to  save 
Rogers — Arrest  of  Walker,  when  Louise,  Wilson's  wife  arrives,  and 
swears  she  saw  Lester  Wilson  murder  the  Colonel — Wilson  and  Dan, 
the  bribe  rejected — Rogers  in  prison — Wilson  visits  Rogers— The 
insult — Arrival  of  Mary  with  the  reprieve — ^"Saved,  John  saved." 

ACT  HL — A  lapse  of  one  year — Home  of  John  and  Mary  Rogers — 
Walker  and  Annie  as  lovers — News  of  Lester  Wilson's  escape  from 
prison — Mary's  forbodings — ^Lester  Wilson's  attempt  to  kill  John 
Rogers,  but  is  foiled  by  Louise — Dan  arrests  Lester — '"Jjester  Wilson, 
you  have  wrongetl  me  deeply,  but  1  furgive  you" — '"Come  friends, 
let  us  go  in.  night's  shadows  are  closing  around  us.  Its  gloomy 
shades  are  too  suggestive  of  the  past,  and  around  the  cheery  fire- 
place I  can  .see  the  faces  of  the  friends,  wliose  love  for  me  was  my 
aalvalion,  in  the  dark  days  before  1  was  Reprieved. 


-^Old  Blaek  Joe/I- 

-OR- 

THE  SOUTH  VS.  THE  NORTH. 


A  drama  In  5  acts,  by  Chas.  A.  Laoore,  for  10  male  and  2  female 

characters.    Time  uf  playing'  1  hour  and  50  minutes. 

Custumes  modern. 


SYNOPSIS  OF  EVENTS. 

ACT  I. — Home  of  Mrs.  Esmond — General  Lawton  and  Mrs.  Esmond 
have  an  interview — Joe — "Doan  you  do  dat  Massa,  I  isn't  your 
nigger" — "It's  every  loyal  Southerner's  business  to  l<now  why  this 
Yankee  is  coming  back  among  us." 

ACT  II. — Garden— Stephen  and  Ned  Esmond — Ned  confides  to 
Stephen  that  he  has  enlisted  in  the  Northern  Army— Nell — "I  wish 
he  wasn't  a  Yankee" — Ned  and  Virginia — "They  knew  I  was 
Southern  woman,  yet  I  was  upbraided  for  not  upholding  my  huj 
band's  cause" — Ned  and  Raymond — Ned  leaves  for  the  North. 

ACT  III.  — Interior  Esmond's  house— The  battle— "Oh!  those  dreac 
ful  guns,  will  they  never  be  quiet — Colonel  Harris  and  Nell — "Wj 
were  badly  worsted  at  Five  Forks" — "All  I  have  is  at  the  disposal 
the  Confederate  cause" — General  Lawton  takes  possession  of  tl 
Esmond  house  for  his  headquarters — Col.  Lester  and  Col.  Sanders^ 
arrive — "The  Yankees  are  in  tlie  woods" — Dispatches — Col.  Esmor 
in  command  of  Nortiiern  forces — More  bad  news  for  the  South- 
Raymond  gets  important  papers  and  shows  them  to  Nell — Stephen 
looking  for  the  lost  papers — Nell  escapes  with  papers  through  window 
— Virginia  accused  of  taking  the  papers — Raymond  confesses — "You 
traitor" — Nell  wounded — "They  are  smart  if  they  catch  me  now" — 
Looking  for  tlie  spy — Discovery  of  blood  stained  coat — Joe  claims 
coat — "I'se  only  a  poor  ole  worn  out  nigger,  my  time  most  out 
anyhow" — Nell  discovered. 

ACT  IV. — Col.  Harris  condemned  to  be  shot  as  a  traitor — Planning 
to  escape — Song,  Old  Kentucky  Home— Joe  sent  with  a  message. 

ACT  v.  — Esmond's  plantation — Virginia — "Oh!  Nell,  that  you 
should  betray  us" — "We  are  in  the  power  of  that  scoundrel" — Law- 
ton  warned  tluit  Esmond  is  on  his  way  to  Richmond — Infamous 
traitor! — "Betray  the  man  I  love'  Never!" — "Whist!  lay  low,  it  is  th«^ 
General"— Petersburg  in  the  hands  of  the  Yankees — "Strobridge 
woods  swarming  with  Yankee  cavalry" — "Your  decision,  speak 
quick" — Villain  — Slepiien — "Once  more  I  am  here  to  balk  you.  Gen. 
Lawton"— "Help!  lielp!"— Arrival  of  Col.  Ned  Esmond— "Stop  it 
you  dog!  release  him  or  I'll  fire" — "Yon  are  my  prisoner" — "Never 
alive" — Lawton  escapes — Nell  and  Stephen  are  re-united— "For  de 
Lord's  sake,  Massa  Colonel!  it's  great  news,  the  war  is  ended" — "It 
means  that  Richmond  has  surrendered" — "Then  Virginia  must  sur- 
r«nd*r  tou"— Happy  ending.  Price  25cta.  ^ 


-A-ines'  IPlays-Oontinued. 


^ 


16 


M.  T. 

Out  In  the  Streets «  4 

Rescned. 5  3 

Saved ^ 2  3 

Turn  of  the  Tide 7  4 

Three  GlaaseH  a  Da;, 3  8 

Ten  Nights  In  a  BarRoom  7  3 

Wrecked 9  3 

COMEDIES. 

An  AWicted  Family.                7  5 

Biter  Bit,  The "...  .    .         ?>  2 

Bird  Family 8  ft 

Caught  in  the  Act 7  3 

Captured ,-. ; S  4 

Caste , _  5  3 

Case  of  Jeitlotisy 4  2 

Cigarette,  The 4  2 

Farmer  Larkiu's  Boarders,  fi  4 

Girl  from  the  Midwa.v,  The..  3  2 

Heroic  Dutchman  of  '76. 8  3 

Home .„ f.  3 

In  a  Splder'8  Web 8  5 

Joshua  Blodgett.  25o 7  2 

Johanes  Blatz's  Mistake 4  3 

tfOvc's  Labor  Not  Lost 3  3 

Loudon  Assurance. 9  * 

Miss  Blothingay'u  Blunder.  3  3 

Miss  Topsy  Turvy 4  4 

Muldoon's  Bluuders.,  25c....  5  3 

New  Years  in  N.  Y 7  6 

Not  So  Bad  After  All. ....,.'.'..  6  h 

0\ir  Boys , f,  4 

Our  Daughters..... ,.. 8  6 

Our  Summer  Boarder'n 6  3 

Pug  and  the  Baby 5  3 

Passions 9  4 

Prof.    Jauies'    Exptrieuce 

Teaching  Country  School...  4  3 

Uags  and  Hotvles 4  1 

Scale    With    Sharps    and 

Flats 3  2 

Servants  vs.  Master...........   6  2 

Slight  Mistake.^ 0  n 

Solon  Shingle. 14  2 

Stub,  25c 8  H 

Two  Bad  Boys...                        7  3 

Three  Hats,  The                    "  A  3 

S2,000  Reward "  2  0 

Valet's  Mistiil<e .t  4 

Winning  Hand,  The 6  2 

Widow  McGinty,  The. 5  4 

TRAGEDIES. 

The  Serf e,  3 


FARCES&COMEDIETT^S 


Actor  and  Servant. 

Aunt  C^harlotte's  M;(i<i!."..'..' 
All  in  a  MuddJe. 
Andy  FreoltU'S. 
Actor's  Solieuie,  Tlic, 
Awful  Carpet  .BaR,  Tiuit.... 

Betsey  BaUer.... 

Bla<;k  vs.  White. ...;..'. .■■.■."■.';" 
Bridget  Branigaiis'  Troii- 
ble8„ 


2  0 

3  3 
3 

•  3 

1  4 
■i  3 

2  2 

4  2 


SO.  M.  F. 

401  Box  and  Cox 2  1 

344  Badly  Mixed ^ 2  2 

289  Colonel's  Mishap 6 

287  Cousin  Josiah 1  1 

225  Cupids  Capers 4  4 

317  Cleveland's  Recept'n  Party  5  3 

3'24  Day  in  a  Doctors  Offlc*!. 5  1 

345  Deacon  Jones' Wife's  Ghost  4  0 

249  Double  Electii)n 9  1 

220  Dutchy  vs.  Nigger 3  0 

379  Dutchman's  Picnic,  The 3  0 

188  Dutch  Prize  Fighter .....3  0 

407  Dr.  Baxter's  Servants i  0 

218  Everybody  Astonished 4  0 

224  Fooling   with    the    Wrong 

Man 2  1 

233  Freezing  a  Mother-in-Law.  3  2 

154  Fun  in  a  Post  Office 4  2 

274  Family  Jars 5  2 

209  Goose    with     the     Golden 

Eggs 5  3 

307  Hallabahoola,  the  Medicine 
Man.. ......'..  4  3 

271  Hans  Brumnael's  Cafe 5  0 

116  Hash ; 4  2 

140  How  He  Popped  the  Ques- 
tion  :    1  1 

74  How  to  Tame  Your  Mother- 
in-Law 4  2 

366  Hotel  Healthy 4  3 

398  Haunted  Hat.  The 2  0 

308  Irish     Squire     of     Squash 
Ridge 4  2 

95  In  the  Wrong  Clothes 5  3 

305  .laeob  Sblaff's  Mistake. 3  2 

.299  Jimmie  Jones 3  2 

II  John  Smith 5  3 

99  Jumbo  Jum 4  3 

406  Judge  by  Proxy. ..-,........,..,..  5  2 

303  Kiss  in  the  Dark...........^..;..'.'  2  3 

3,89  Kitty  and  Patsy 1  1 

380  Katie's  Deception...,, 4  2 

228  Lauderbach's    Little    Sur- 
prise   -  1 

302  Locked  in  a  Dress-maker's 

Room ; 3  2 

106  Lodgings  for  Two 3  0 

288  Love  in  all  Corners. 5  3 

328  Laiidlord'.s  Revenge,  The...  3  0 

139  Matrimonial  Bliss. 1  1 

231  Match  for  a  Mother-in-Law  3  2 

■23.T  More  Blunders  than  One....  4  3 

69  Mother's  Fool 6  1 

208  Mv  Prociou-  Betsey 4  4 

212  iMv  Turn  Next .4  3 

K  My  Wife's  Relations 4  6 

273  Mv  Neighbor's  Wife,, ..•;.■. S  3 

31:^  Matchmaking  Father 2  2 

3.56  Mik.'  Donovan's  Courtship.  I  3 

3.5")  Mvstic  Charm,  The 0  4 

.349  Mv  Mother-in-Law 2  4 

285  Mashers  Mashed,  The 5  2 

296  Nanka's    Leap  Year   Ven- 
ture   5  2 

•.^9  Nobody's  Moke  ....„...,.,.'....»  5  2 

395  Nip  and  Tuck 3  1 

ra 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


Form  L9-50m-4, '61(3899484)444 


414 

403 
111 

lr>7 
377 


Wbo's  Wtao7..  :ailHB|||H'        3 

WlnniDR  a  Wife.....',.  3 

Vankee  Dueliwt .\'.', 3 

Yankee  Peddler "','\ 7 

Yacob's  Hotel  Eirperi^noe"  3 

ETHIOPIAN  FARCES. 

3CM     A'-'' of  stars  ,\ 

172     B  •  rnnker.  ( 

9S    Ti  ii\ie.„ 4 


3r 


382 


376 

184 
186 


The  Little  Oein  Make-Up  Box 


ataoie  i^aug-niers o' 

Ames'  Series  of    Medleys, 
Re<'    ••f.ions  and  Xubleaiix 

No  

Am        .ieriea  of    Medleys, 
Re':iv    Uon»     and      Panto 

mlrnet.  No.  2. 

Joan  of  Arc  Drill 

Victim  of  Woman's  Rigbta.  I 

Family  Discipline....: 0 

My  Day  and  Now-a-Days...  0 
.    Price  50  Cents. 


I7MVBRSITY  OF       ^     X>R3Sia 


rE 


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